Activision Blizzard Converts U.S. QA Staff to Full-Time, Raises Base Wages

[Peter_Brosdahl]

Activision is converting 1,100 U.S. contract/temp workers to full-time. Their minimum salary will increase to $20/hr, and they will receive full company benefits.

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[Brian_B]

Nice to get rolled up under the Microsoft Pension Plan.

 

[Grimlakin]

So WAIT Activision was paying QA testers LESS than 20 dollars an hour on average? Wow...

 

[Brian_B]

So WAIT Activision was paying QA testers LESS than 20 dollars an hour on average? Wow...

Contract work can really suck. My guess is the "contract" was not T&M - it was some static guideline for a static amount of payment, which resulted in a really pathetic hourly rate if you broke it down. And of course, it's contracted out so you don't have to provide benefits, insurance, or anything else - it's just a purchase order that you have to cut.

Contractors can do well for themselves, but it's really easy to wind up on the short end of that stick if you don't stand up for yourself.

 

[Grimlakin]

Contractors can do well for themselves, but it's really easy to wind up on the short end of that stick if you don't stand up for yourself.

As a person who has done many years of IT contract work... I wanted to correct this statement.

INDEPENDENT contractors can do well for themselves.

BUT you have to build up a client list first. Doing W2 contracting someone else is making the money and it isn't you.