Topic: What's it really like working for Nintendo?

So a while back we heard that someone complained about Nintendo of America not letting their employees unionise. And since then we've heard more and more stories about Nintendo's less-than-satisfactory treatment of their workers. They apparently have badges to represent their two-tier system of permanent and temp workers, the temps not having access to a lot of benefits and the perms drowning in work.
(Source: Video Game Story Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c9Fiwb55DU )

So it seems like working for Nintendo isn't quite the dream job some of us thought it would be. Except, I'm sure an article by Nintendo Life said the exact opposite. There was a survey of sorts on how Nintendo employees felt about their jobs and it sounded like between the high pay and raises and atmosphere between workers that working for Nintendo really is as good as it sounds, with employees staying to work at Nintendo for many years on average. Perhaps this survey was done by Nintendo of Japan instead of NoA and that's why the workers feel differently? Though I would've thought Japan treats their workers more harshly than in America.
Either way, these records contradict each other and I can't find the original article by Nintendo Life about said survey. Does anyone know where it is or know of a similar article on another website? I'd just like to get the full picture before seeing working at Nintendo as a black and white thing, or assume they start poking their employees with red pitchforks if they don't work hard enough.

TL;DR: Anyone know of a survey saying employees actually like working at Nintendo and usually stay with the company for many years.

@DDFawfulGuy
In Japan, they fire staff of any grade after three mistakes.

(That's what my uncle told me)

@DDFawfulGuy There's possibly three articles that are relevant if you search NL for "workers nintendo".

I thought I recalled NL covering Kat Bailey's story (IGN) regarding nintendo workers discontent, abusing the independent contractor status, not letting workers going full-time status. I didn't get the impression NL tried to sugar coat it.
https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-america-contractors-ful...

I'll admit, though, I mainly skimmed around the articles.

@WoomyNNYes
Wow, thanks for that. It's pretty eye-opening and goes into more detail than what I've seen so far, though it's a bit too long for me to read all of it.
The survey thing I'm talking about might've been last year or a few years ago, which is why I was surprised to hear that Nintendo doesn't treat their staff well.
Ah, wait. I think i've found it thanks to your suggestion.
So I believe it was actually this article about the average age and pay of employees, as well as how long they usually stay working for Nintendo. And just judging it from this, Nintendo sounds like a great place to work. So the final sentence of "Maybe working at Nintendo really is as great as it sounds?" must've gotten stuck in my head. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/07/nintendo_reveals_av...
Thanks again, squid.

That article is indeed quite something. It highlights a few things for me:
Having to feel that speaking to an outside organisation about conditions suggests a really flawed set of policies. They must have a whistleblowing policy.

Contractors do have a different set of terms and conditions as its kind of like a busines to business transaction. However, I would imagine that equality and diversity laws and policies still apply. Treating contractors and temps differently from perm staff is plain odd.

Expecting to be hired as a perm - is that a thing? I would've thought that taking on staff perm who have experience would make sense. Also what is law for employing temp workers - is this a fire and rehire type of thing?

The article suggests that this situation is not uncommon in tech firms, so is this something that needs to be changed in law?

Also, this is no defence of working conditions, but most call centres are staffed by temps and are usually pretty rubbish to work in.

Ninty's ***** up here, but whether it's awful middle managers, bad employment law, or senior management not keeping on top of things (all three?), or they are just behaving in the same way as other places us yet to be seen.

They should, however, be better, and I wonder how NoJ will respond.

Who knows if we ever find out more? Nintendo is a very secretive company most times, so finding out the worker problems that we find out that far more open companies also try to hide at any cost is not something that will just happen. So Nintendo's conditions, on average, we might not hear about for a long while, if ever.

My thoughts have been that Nintendo has shown themselves to at least be better in this regard than enough of their competitors at points, but a corporation is still going to corporation and it was unlikely that Nintendo as a company would be completely free of issues. It's safe to assume that something bad has gone on at literally every major gaming company, at some point.

I've read a guy's post before that it's hard to get in (which is to be expected since it's a well-known company) but that it's also difficult to stay (it's a competitive environment). Though to their credit, I think they really try to make it fun working there, but it's still a company that needs to take care of the different aspects of a business, such as PR and financial.

Nintendo Uncles Union assemble!

@DDFawfulGuy It’s full of uncles, everyone knows that!

Fr tho, There are lots of interviews, I never seen or read any of them tho.

I have family that works for Nintendo of America in Redmond. I’ve not heard anything that’s unfavourable about it.

No one knows, everyone who's left Nintendo has mysteriously turned up dead or has gone missing almost as if they were murdered so they would never be able to talk...

Nintendo of America staff and execs (including the CEO) are really active on LinkedIn. In fact, the CEO posts on all the interns posts when they arrive and/or leave. He seems really keen on a good work environment and everyone else sounds pretty hyped too......but not in a forced way. Maybe it's different across regions, I mean, every organization has its skeletons, some just stay better hidden.....

@cordova94
well that's interesting stuff to know... 👍

@markmarkmark definitely not my field at all, but it looks like a fun place to work from what I can see......I mean who wouldn't want to work with Mario?

You know too much... Don't open your door... Wahooo

I seriously want the haha react button for this post, but it doesn't exist, so...
"hahaha" 🤣

@markmarkmark 🤣

I have no insight but being a relatively large company I'd imagine there'd be the same things you'd get with any workplace like that. Like the way less-skilled narcists are better able to BS their way through un-noticed. Or at the other extreme how less vocal but talented people will be churned up and spat out. Also the more people who work for a company the narrower the roles become which in itself eventually creates super niche BS positions like barista to the secretary of the minute taker

I think like most Nintendo "fans" I would've said in my late teens and early 20s that working at Nintendo would've been the "dream job". Especially as someone who's career path that could have theoretically gone down that road. But now? ..... I don't think I'd want to work somewhere with more than ~50 employees. Regardless of the work culture

@Rambler I thought Japan was known for never firing anyone, just giving them humiliating demotions.
Like Konami (probably) made the person who created Momotaro Dentetsu (the annual sequel train themed board game) a toilet scrubber once they decided Hudson was no longer worth keeping around.

@KingMike
That if they're really bad, then they're never ever allowed to leave...