It's no secret that layoffs often upend lives, but a particular pain point for workers in the United States is that it's exceedingly common to only have health insurance through your employer. If a sudden layoff blindsides you, your coverage goes with your income. So it went with Mike Prinke, a technical writer who worked at Epic for seven years—right up until the studio laid off 1,000 people last week.
Prinke's termination came amid particularly awful circumstances: He's currently undergoing treatment for terminal brain cancer. His wife, Jenni Griffin, posted about their situation on Facebook in a plea to Epic or anyone who could help. Epic's post announcing the layoffs said impacted staff would receive paid healthcare coverage for six months, but the nature of Prinke's illness means medical coverage is not their only hurdle.
"Because of the layoff, we didn’t just lose income—we lost his life insurance. And because his condition is now considered a pre-existing condition, he can't get new coverage," Griffin wrote. "As I face the reality of losing my husband… I'm also facing the reality of what type of funeral/burial I can afford. How I will keep a roof over our heads. How I will protect our son and the life we built together. What will happen to our dogs.
"I truly believe that if the people who made this decision understood the full human impact, they would not have intended this outcome. Mike is not just a number. He is a father. A husband. A person deeply loved."
In an interview with Kotaku, Griffin said Prinke's condition was well-known within the studio, as he had frequent appointments. Some of these included specialized treatments to prevent memory loss so he could maintain a high performance at his job.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney spoke about Prinke's situation on X, replying to a thread from a Fortnite news account which tagged him and asked "ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?" In his reply, Sweeney said "Epic is in contact with the family and will solve the insurance for them.
"There is high confidentiality around medical information and it was not a factor in this layoff decision. Sorry to everyone for not recognizing this terribly painful situation and handling it in advance."
