July 8, 2008
WPT Layoffs
As Dan mentioned in his Steve Lipscomb interview post, there were some layoffs at WPT Enterprises last week. My sources tell me that there were approximately 10 people let go, primarily from the online and interactive departments that handle the WPT store and website content. This is starting to hit home with me now because two of those people were friends from my days as an accountant at the WPT offices, and while the majority of the employees are said to have been on edge about the possibility of layoffs, it always hurts to be let go from a company to which you’ve been loyal for four or five years.
WPTE wouldn’t confirm the number of people let go, if there would be more, or what departments were trimmed, but Lipscomb did provide an official statement:
“WPT Enterprises is undergoing a reorganization to meet the future demands of our business and changes in the marketplace we inhabit. All decisions affecting members of the WPTE family are extremely difficult decisions, but this reorganization is vital to creating and sustaining a growing business. WPTE has taken great care to ensure smooth and successful transitions for all former and existing WPT staff.”
