Retaliatory Whistleblowing Expected at Microsoft During or After the Mass Layoffs
Retaliatory behaviour by Microsoft will backfire
The Microsoft layoffs are apparently exactly a week away (some say next Tuesday, others say next Wednesday, Microsoft can also postpone or delay to "prove wrong" the predictions - as happened in the past).
"Past employees believe their layoffs were retaliatory and caution devs to protect themselves as mass layoffs loom," says a new report by Bryant Francis, Senior Editor at GameDeveloper.com. He quotes some people familiar with the antics, e.g. "other former employees we spoke with (who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation by Microsoft and other prospective employers) described a recurring pattern of retaliation, where filing a complaint with HR or otherwise exercising their legal rights in the face of inappropriate behavior may have led to them being made redundant, added to a mass layoff, or pressured to leave on their own accord."
Expect many people to speak out (anonymously, e.g. in online forums) about what goes on. Some details are already coming out about the slop scam at Microsoft.
The layoffs aren't limited in scope to XBox or gaming; from testimonies we've seen and heard, almost every division is impacted. █