The reality show “The Squid Game” and the real challenge: overcoming the complaints of its participants

Dressed in the same costume as the characters from the South Korean series “The Squid Game,” the players of the Netflix reality show were confined for 16 days in a London studio in January. Everyone wanted the $4.56 million jackpot. At least four people, according to an article in Rolling Stone, they did not take long to mention the “cruelty” and supposed “inhumane” conditions that they experienced in the first game. Months later, all the episodes of the series were released and two competitors could take legal action for suffering damages in the competition. Meanwhile, the firm handling the cases, Express Solicitors, is looking for more injuries, as indicated via email to Skip Intro of El Comercio.

The filming set of the first game, “Green Light, Red Light,” was a “war zone,” one player told Variety. There two players suffered injuries, including hypothermia and nerve damage. The dynamic was that a giant doll would allow the participants to move or remain still. The goal was to reach the end of the room. Many competitors thought it would be a few hours of filming, but they remained for 30 minutes like statues and enduring freezing temperatures. So the filming of a couple of hours was extended to seven or more. Of course, it is something that the contestants did not imagine when they agreed to play without receiving payment.

The spokesman for Express Solicitors, Simon Lennon, confirmed to this newspaper the injury complaints of two players of “The Squid Game: The Challenge”: “No claim has yet been filed, but we have delivered letters of claim to the producers of Studio Lambert for two contestants, outlining their injury claims, and we are now gathering more evidence, before bringing legal action, if necessary.”

“This is a serious case, so we cannot share any documentation, such as what it says in the players’ contracts. “Going forward, it will be up to the courts to decide the validity of any contract they may have signed, if that happens,” he added.

How much would a “Squid Game: The Challenge” player receive for suffering an injury?

According to an explanatory video from the British law firm on YouTube, when a person suffers an injury during work, it is not so simple to define whether it is serious or deserves compensation. “The amount depends on the severity of the injuries and how they impacted his life,” explains a legal expert.

Being a million-dollar production, the affected player could think about a lot of money. However, there are many guidelines to consider by the Judicial College Guidelines of the United Kingdom Ministry of Justice. They identify injuries based on what body part was injured, how long it took to recover, and how much it cost the person out of pocket. Additionally, it considers general and other special damages, as well as the person’s type of income, etc.

Most UK workplace injury firms offer a calculator that shows the amount of compensation for your injury. In this case, the reality players spoke of nerve damage, which corresponds to the head and body category. A quick calculation on the Express Solicitors website shows a minimum amount of $236,000 that the company should give them if they win the case.

However, there is still no further specification about the type of damage suffered by the players of “The Squid Game: The Challenge.” In fact, in January, Netflix said that “claims of serious injuries are false” and that the studios had “invested in all appropriate safety procedures.”

Is “Squid Game: The Challenge” ethical?

“For (the reality show) to be ethical, I think that a production company can regulate basic rights, such as, for example, eight hours of work a day and pay for overtime. The employee must accept this. And there must be ideal health and safety conditions. That’s what the law says, but if the conditions are abnormal, then people’s rights would be violated,” says Daniel Robles Ibazeta, a Peruvian labor and corporate lawyer.

“For (the reality show) to be ethical, I think that a production company can regulate basic rights, such as, for example, eight hours of work a day and pay for overtime”

Daniel Robles, Peruvian labor and corporate lawyer

Unlike local British broadcasters, streaming platforms may have other ways to prevent accidents on sets. The renowned Studio Lambert made “The Traitors,” a reality show with “very strict safety, health and support for the contestants,” Philippa Childs, head of the British production union Bectu, told Variety. Additionally, when she was asked about the competitors of “Squid Game: The Challenge,” she spoke of “a certain arrogance in some of the streamers,” who may not consider harm to their employees.

For its part, Express Solicitors insisted that “in the United Kingdom, it is not possible to exclude liability for personal injury caused by negligence in a contract.” Although no further scope has been given to the health and safety sections of the Netflix contract, it is clear that the company “will have to pay compensation if it is responsible for what it generates,” counters Peruvian lawyer Daniel Robles.

The production companies assured that they “took all appropriate safety precautions, including aftercare for the contestants,” according to Variety. Additionally, an independent judge was overseeing the games “to ensure it is fair for everyone,” they said. Will they be able to face a second season of the reality show? Some social media users talk about never setting foot on the Netflix set, while others rush to fill out applications for the new casting. In short, the platform has the great challenge of overcoming two serious complaints, but, more importantly, avoiding another scandal with its next players.