I worked 90 hours a week for EA and I didn’t even get this lousy T-shirt

Electronic Arts is coming under pressure from its own development staff in some rather interesting ways, with the fallout from the infamous ‘spouse’ blog entry still descending on the firm’s ultra-rich management.

A range of T-shirts has been released bearing the rather catchy slogan “I worked 90 hours a week for EA and I didn’t even get this lousy T-shirt” something of a public relations and certainly recruitment disaster.

Focus has also shifted towards the salaries awarded to senior EA executives with global head of human resources Rusty Rueff and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial & Administration Officer Warren Jenson receiving special attention.

According to one leaked document, Rueff, who’s reaction to the initial blog entry was leaked to SPOnG and seemingly detailed a somewhat unusual attitude towards overtime payments, was offered a starting package of “…$240,000 with a 50% target bonus. The bonus will be guaranteed at 100% of target in the fiscal year ending March 31, 1999, and 75% of target,” along with “…non-qualified option to purchase 70,000 shares of Electronic Arts common stock…” and “…$2,500 per month (net of taxes) housing allowance for a three-year period…” and “…the difference between your acquisition cost and the sale price on your property at 181-12 Turn of River Road if the selling price is less than the initial purchase price of $612,500…” and a $50,000 one-off signing fee.

This was reportedly Rueff’s starting package back in 1998.

Jenson’s starting package was equally impressive, offering in the region of $6,000,000 over a four-year term. This figure is before share option has been factored in.

And it’s figures like that, that are likely to be causing what appears to be a growing rift between EA’s management and its development staff. There have also been voices complaining of impossible-to-meet bonus offers related to unrealistic development timelines and salary reviews resulting in below-inflation level awards for some months now, with Rueff’s email to staff, leaked exclusively to SPOnG, garnering little more than incredulity from employees and independent observers alike.