Gamestop Facing Class-Action Suit Over Treating Employees Like Criminals
Gamestop is already notorious for the way they constantly strive to rip their customers off. That they suck is not a state secret, in other words. So it probably won’t surprise you to know that all the effort Gamestop puts into creating the worst possible customer experience is doubly-spent on making sure their own employees know they’re nothing but serfs.
Case in point, apparently all Gamestop employees are subjected to invasive security checks whenever they take breaks or end their shifts. But adding insult to injury: They aren’t paid for the time spent being violated for the privilege of earning minimum wage. Yep, you read that right. The average Gamestop employee must clock out entirely, and then subject themselves to corporate police-state tactics, which means wasted break time and a delay in getting the hell out of the store when the work day is done.
That’s utterly classless, but luckily, it also might be illegal! California law requires that employers must provide workers with one half-hour food break for every five hours worked, plus one 10 minute break every four hours. Subjecting hourly workers to unpaid humiliation sounds suspiciously afoul of that law, and a former gamestop employee has filed a class-action suit against the chain over the practice of. The class includes current and former hourly workers employed on or after June 21, 2010.
Sadly for those of us who oppose the growing corporate police state that believes nothing workers do is outside the bounds of their employer’s oversight – unless of course you’re at the top of the pyramid, in which case you’ll never be frisked or drug tested, probably for the best since the absolute worst theft in American business never ever ever involves people at the top – the case doesn’t call the practice of frisking hourly workers into question. But even if they simply get Gamestop to pay workers when they’re ritually depriving them of privacy, it’ll be a victory for workers everywhere.
In fact, how much do you want to bet that, should Gamestop lose and have to pay workers for the time spent frisking them, they’ll end the practice?
Via Gamespot
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3 Comments on Gamestop Facing Class-Action Suit Over Treating Employees Like Criminals
Niserox
On November 25, 2011 at 3:20 pm
So this is why every time I go into gamestop (eb games in canada) they always seem like they’re having a bad day.
I don’t know why people keep going to gamestop anyways, its overpriced to hell, and they always try and rip you off in the sleekest ways possible.
Theres literally an EB games beside a walmart where I am, and when I went to go buy Starcraft 2 about a few days after its release, not only was I treated like a douchebag by the employees for “following a trend of gamers”, the game in itself was almost 10 dollars more! Went across the road and got Starcraft 2 for like 50 bucks or something at walmart.
Seriously, if you hate the customer service there (which I’m pretty sure we all do) just stop going.
JosephPS3
On November 25, 2011 at 7:09 pm
Gamestop Managers LIE.
I pre ordered Skyrim from Gamestop (Toronto, On, Canada) but just the plain regular map was included. Here are the list of bull this lying tried to feed me. After I successfully argue against each one she tries another:
1. Premium map is for collector’s edition only
2. Some preorder copies has premium map and she has no control which Skyrim copy has them.
3. She will call other stores and headquarters and call me back Monday-never called back. Skyrim was released Friday. I had to go to the store Tuesday.
I met her in person and she continues her verbal diarrhea:
4. “I called a rep from Bethesda and was told that they ran out of premium map and therefore included the regular map. They will release news of what will happen later and she will contact me when she has more information.”
At this point I lost my cool. You have no idea how infuriating and frustrating it was to talk to this person. Now I’m raising my voice so that everyone in the store can hear the situation and luckily one of the customer in the store heard me and said that the same thing happen to him and one of the employees opened another copy and gave him the premium map. Now that I have some support from this kind bystander, this grabs another copy and opens it and gives me the premium map.
I just can’t believe how much I had to fight for my right. To be honest I really don’t put much value on the map but her attempt to treat me like an idiot made me upset.
I just recently started shopping at Gamestop (7 months ago). I will never ever walk into any of their stores again. I am willing to pay a little more and patronize another business rather then give Gamestop another penny.
Don Wurryboutit
On February 16, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Oh get over it, how long does it take to search a bag 10-15 seconds. Now if you are saying they are “frisking” you, then thats a different story, but I have worked at gamestop and yes they did do bag checks upon leaving, i never heard of anyone being frisked. Sounds more like a theiving employee has an issue with someone trying to protect their property against theft.