Telltale massive layoffs prompt class action alleging violations of labor law

What has just happened? Telltale Games, a long-time game development studio, has been criticized for the way it has handled the recent layoffs of 90% of its workforce. The company allegedly failed to offer its employees severance pay, among other alleged violations. Now a former company employee has slapped the studio with a class action suit, claiming that recent layoffs violate California's labor laws.

In the wake of reports that Telltale Games has laid off 90% of its workforce without compensation, the development studio that will soon be closed will face even more problems.

According to a Polygon report, Vernie Roberts, a member of the Telltale team, filed a lawsuit against his former employer, on behalf of his dismissed peers and himself.

The crux of Roberts' argument is that he believes that Telltale has violated the California version of the "WARN Act", which requires large corporations to give workers soon laid off a 60-day notice before a massive layoff .

From a layman's point of view, Roberts's case seems pretty solid. If what we understand about the debacle is accurate, the massive layoffs of Telltale meet the criteria of a stroke violation; Witness fact more than 75 workers before layoffs, and executives laid off more than 50 employees in a short time.

In addition, it does not appear that the studio has warned its employees of its impending destruction. However, the question remains: what does Roberts – and his colleagues, join their cause – hope to win from Telltale at this point?

If a company is ready to lay off 90% of its staff without compensation, leaving only a small core team to complete the next episode of the last season of The Walking Dead, probably because this company is running out of it.

In this case, Telltale probably has more thing. Even though Roberts' case was successful, it's hard to say how much a win would be good for him and his former peers.

That being said, as Polygon notes, if a court finds that Telltale was wrong, it could force the company to return all the funds it left to the employees concerned, regardless of the amount.