Semi Essessi is a name you may not entirely be familiar with but after this week, we hope you are. Essessi worked on the unfortunately crap, Bodycount. Probably one of the most forgettable and average FPS titles from last year. Essessi talked with Eurogamer last week about the fact that Codemasters had put him and several of his coworkers under unlawful working conditions

Essessi claims that he was not paid for or compensated for over 400 hours of overtime he worked leading up to crunch time for the game. He goes on to add that Codemasters promised him time off as compensation for over time but the only time he was given was when he was let go from Codemasters Guildford studios once they shut down in 2011.

He then talked to Codemasters HR department who told him that he was not entitled to any overtime. This was due to the fact that Essessi and his co-workers recieved an extra month of pay on their final paychecks...which Codemasters then asked for back, claiming it was an accounting error. They then wanted him and his coworkers to pay it all back immediately.  Unfortunately for Codemasters, Essessi had spent it on a lovely amount of debt he'd acquired from moving to Guildford.

Essessi says that he is "sick and tired of big business being incompetent and getting away with it because of fear and naivete. I don't like bullies, I never have, I never will." And now it was Codemasters time to say what needed to be said, possibly an apology?

Codemasters responded to Eurogamer saying (in full): 

The company has been, and continues to be, in open dialogue with Semi regarding the reimbursement of funds paid into his account following an administrative error, as it is entitled to. As the conversation regarding his personal situation is ongoing, the company has not, as alleged, pursued it as a legal matter with him. The company adviser's are now aware of the additional comments that Semi has published and these will be addressed with him directly through the appropriate channels as necessary.

Right...but about the money you owe everyone and the lack of compensation and care and...wow. Just wow. I mean, it's no Ocean Strategy but it's just so vanilla and doesn't explain a goddamn thing about their practices and how they cocked up the situation. 

Via [Kotaku]

Tweet

0% of voters think this story ROCKS!

Vote Now!    (0) (6)