Get #PaizoAccountability
by Supporting Unionization

#PaizoAccountability is a call by Paizo's fan community for Paizo to take action and show accountability for the mismanagement and mistreatment of Paizo staff that has been allowed to take place at the company, harming the healh and safety of staff in addition to hampering their abilities to effectively do their jobs.

Paizo's workers have formed Paizo Workers United and they demand their union is recognized by management. Visit https://unitedpaizoworkers.org/ to learn more.

What's Happening?

Following the sudden dismissal of Paizo's Customer Service Manager and consequent resignation of a member of the customer service team on September 13th, numerous former Paizo employees have come forward with troubling accounts of mismanagement, sexual harassment, and unsanitary working conditions.

In addition, there are accounts of staff, especially those who are minoritized, needing to fight against the executive team to get the diverse and inclusive content Paizo's games are known for made at all.

The number of accounts and consistency among reports show clear issues with the working conditions at Paizo.

In response, members of the Paizo community came together under the hashtag #PaizoAccountability to support Paizo's staff, on both the creative and operations sides of the company, and demand Paizo do better.

Beginning September 16th, a united bloc of approximately 40 Paizo freelance writers, game designers, and adventure authors announced to management they would be refusing new contracts and in some cases withholding current work until improvements were made for employees. Demands included Paizo fill an HR position that was allowed to sit vacant and leave Paizo without HR for months; that non-warehouse staff be permitted to continue working from home during the pandemic, and that all non-warehouse staff are afforded the option to work remotely from outside Washington if they choose; that Paizo be fully transparent about all salary information; and that Paizo bring a full-time diversity consultant onto staff.

Why a union?

Changes need to be made at Paizo, but calls for change are most appropriate when they come from a union of staff with collective bargaining rights.

On September 20th, Paizo President Jeff Alvarez responded to the controversy by saying the executive team would hold individual meetings with managers to hear grievances and conduct an employee engagement survey. Mr. Alvarez also shared a commitment to filling the vacant HR position, and extended Paizo's work from home timeline to the end of 2021.

In an October 5th response to Paizo's freelancers by Paizo Publisher Erik Mona, the company expanded on the commitments made in Mr. Alvarez's statements with a commitment to reducing crunch and to work with a consultancy firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion training.

The steps being taken are good, but they do not go far enough, and they do little to protect employees from future mismanagement. A union allows Paizo's workers to come to the table as a collective group and make changes to improve their workplace.

Learn more about why Paizo workers are unionizing at https://unitedpaizoworkers.org/

Show your Support

Jeff Alvarez, Lisa Stevens, and Erik Mona,

I support Paizo's employee-led unionization effort, and believe it is the best way to ensure Paizo offers its employees equitable compensation and continues to champion diversity both in the office and in product offerings. I urge Paizo management to voluntarily recognize the union, and to engage in good faith negotiations.

A union is the best way to give employees a voice, and for the company to clearly prove they are dedicated to improving. Recognizing the union will help Paizo regain its status as a respected member of the tabletop roleplaying game community.

Sincerely,

Jeff Alvarez, Lisa Stevens, and Erik Mona,

I recently cancelled my Paizo subscriptions after serious allegations arose. I had been a subscriber to <insert lines here> for <insert length of time>. I believe that voluntarily recognizing the union is the best step you can take in response. I will restart my subscription after union recognition.

I support Paizo's employee-led unionization effort. I believe the union is the best way to give employees a voice, ensuring Paizo offers equitable compensation and continues to champion diversity both in the office and in product offerings.

I urge Paizo management to voluntarily recognize the union, and to engage in good faith negotiations. Recognizing the union will prove Paizo's dedication to making necessary changes and help Paizo to regain its status as a respected member of the tabletop roleplaying game community.

Sincerely,