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According to new reports, morale among WWE employees is down due to multiple factors.
Business has been booming for WWE, as the company has reported record numbers since they merged with UFC to form TKO. However, staff members are reportedly unhappy.
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reports that multiple current WWE employees spoke of a “decline in morale”, and reduced benefits, limited pay increases, and heavier workloads were named as factors.
Thurston writes that TKO’s projected annual revenue is expected to be between $2.67 billion and $2.75 billion. The employees Thurston spoke with also said that they felt a “growing disconnect between corporate messaging and their daily experiences,” as multiple staff members said they felt increasingly undervalued.
The report also highlights the end of some benefits, including the end of WWE’s stock purchase program and the WWE Superstar program, which allowed employees to reward each other with points redeemable for rewards.
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Thurston writes that the elimination of WWE’s complimentary live event tickets for employees was another source of frustration. Furthermore, while WWE continues to report record financial success, these employees said that it hasn’t led to “meaningful pay increases”, as multiple staffers said they received a 3% cost-of-living raise this year, which they claim “hardly keeps pace” with rising living costs in the region.
Likewise, employees who had strong performance reviews were told that they wouldn’t get more than a cost-of-living “adjustment” due to “budget constraints set by upper management.” While some were expecting raises based on past practices, they were told that increases would not be feasible due to the merger.
Thurston also cites employees who said that morale among staffers has been “declining for some time now.” Employees were said to be discouraged by the lack of meaningful raises, and concerns that were brought up to lower-and-middle-level managers were linked to decisions that those at the executive level made.
More Reactions To WWE’s Merger
Thurston cites sources who indicated that they felt frustrated with these changes following the merger, and while they respected WWE, they wanted to be compensated for their work. These sources also expressed that they were “surprised” by the direction that WWE has taken since their transaction with Endeavor.
Employees also noted that their workloads have increased, as some said they’re working 50 to 60 hours a week, especially during WrestleMania season.
Some employees noted that they had been assigned “additional UFC-related tasks” following the merger, and they expressed their concern that as TKO continues to expand, WWE’s staff will have to take on more work without being compensated for it. Lastly, Thurston cites one WWE employee who said that “morale has suffered” to the point that some staffers feel less inclined to go above and beyond the way they did before.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider confirmed that employees had been talking about the increased workload, as well as the minimum bonuses and annual raises. Johnson confirmed the part about how some WWE employees are upset about hearing how great WWE is doing while the staff is dealing with the aforementioned issues.
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