GameStop cancels TikTok contest after anger over 10 hours overtime prize

UPDATE November 5, 2020: GameStop has apparently cancelled the upcoming TikTok competition. According to The Gamer, the listing for the contest has been removed from the GameStop employee website, although the company has yet to officially announce its cancellation.

While no official reason has yet to be given, one has to imagine it was due to the enormous backlash GameStop created, as many viewed the competition as distasteful. 

Original story follows…

Video game retailer GameStop has announced a new TikTok contest for employees, and while that might not seem very odd, the fact that one of the prizes seems to be 10 hours of extra work during one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year certainly is.

TikTok, whether you love it or hate it, is the latest social media trend sweeping the globe. Because of its popularity, it’s now getting embraced by every company, brand, and store you can think of.

This apparently includes GameStop, who have announced a new TikTok dance challenge for employees. Basically, workers have to record a video, then the submissions will be voted on by other staff members, with the winner taking home a number of winnings.

Rewards include an Amazon Echo 8, Echo Auto, and a $100 VISA gift card – pretty standard contest fare. However, it’s the last prize that’s turning some heads: “10 additional labor hours to use during Black Friday week.”

The week of Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping times of the year.

A lot of people took this to mean that the winner would earn an extra shift, and if you think this sounds like a bit of a lame prize, you’re not alone, as the company has been getting roasted for it all over Twitter.

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“They deserve to go out of business,” one user wrote. “Gamestop is so unbelievably pathetically evil,” another user added. “Like it’s the most boring kind of evil.”

Gamestop

Game Stop wasn’t exactly on the best of terms with gamers to begin with.

But, others pointed out that the “10 additional labor hours” could just be extra time employees can tack on to their paychecks, which would make this a pretty decent prize instead. Because who wouldn’t want to get paid for not working?

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It’s also worth considering that as we head into the holiday season, one or two Gamestop employees might be looking for extra hours to make a bit more money, which would make this prize, especially if you don’t have to work at all, a very worthwhile winning indeed.