GAME store workers have been told to expect redundancies as they are given new zero-hours contracts
Staff at British video game retailer GAME have reportedly been told to expect redundancies as they move to zero-hours contracts.
According to a recent report from Eurogamerthe Fraser Group-owned retailer will now employ the majority of its non-managerial staff on zero-hours contracts, while newer junior staff, who also have zero-hours contracts, are referred to as ‘cast members’. “
Several employees, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the changes in the publication and said the move to make zero-hour contacts standard across the company was not unexpected.
In addition, staff have been told to expect redundancies and that employees will be contacted by email or telephone to notify them of any job losses.
At this time, GAME has not released a statement and it is currently unclear how many jobs will be eliminated.
In February, GAME halted all trade-ins in its stores to gradually reduce second-hand stock.
Standalone GAME stores will continue to sell used stock until it’s all gone, while concession stores – such as those that exist within Sports Direct stores – have been shut down completely.
Concession stores would complete the transfer of their used software from store to store, while the hardware is returned to the distribution center for redistribution.
The new policy comes after a transition phase in which the retailer moved from standalone stores to smaller concession stores in Sports Direct and House of Fraser.
This latest report is yet another in an ongoing wave of job losses in the games industry, all of which have exceeded 16,000 in the past 18 months, according to US State Department figures. PC gamer.
These job losses are not limited to one small sector of the industry and have affected major game development studios such as Naughty Dog, PlayStation and Supermassive Games, as well as other companies such as Humble Games and Amazon Games.