Paradox Interactive, a publisher and developer of games that are collectively a bargain, today announced the impending completion of a collective agreement between the company and its employees’ labor unions, Unionen and SACO. Under the terms of the agreement, Paradox employees have a formalized means of influencing their pay, benefits, responsibilities, and more. The agreement will apply to all Paradox employees working at locations within Sweden as of its implementation, expected to be finalized within the quarter.
“In the 20-plus years we’ve been in operation, Paradox has always been a growing company, but that growth has been especially dramatic in the last few years,” said Marina Hedman, Chief Human Resources Officer at Paradox Interactive. “An organization of our size has different needs, and we must ensure that our employees continue to feel valued and empowered to shape our company, even as our structure shifts towards larger teams and projects. We’re proud, both as a Swedish company and as a member of the games industry, to add our name to the roster of companies who support unionization.”
The agreement helps enshrine a number of current Paradox company standards, ensuring that employee benefits, paths to career growth, and salary expectations continue to meet everybody’s needs. The agreement will apply to Paradox’s studios located within Sweden, including Paradox Interactive, Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Arctic, and Paradox Malmö.
“Much like Paradox itself, the unions here have been growing massively in the past few years, gradually becoming more and more organized. This is a clear sign that our efforts have resulted in meaningful change. We’re very glad that the company agrees with us on the benefits of a collective agreement and that we’re signing this together,” said Magne Skjæran, Games Programmer at Paradox Development Studio and Union Representative for Unionen. “With this agreement in place, we will be further empowered to advocate for our members here at Paradox, and contribute to making it the best place to work in the industry. We hope it will inspire people to organize in video game companies the world over.”
