lswcap
At Activision Blizzard, complaints about continued unfair treatment of female employees, such as sexual harassment and wage gaps, have been pouring in, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Administration has also filed a complaint with DFEH. Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Cortick was reported to have been aware that an employee had been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted long before the complaint was filed with DFEH.
Reportedly, in just a few months after DFEH sued Activision Blizzard, the company received more than 500 reports of sexual assault, abuse, pay gaps and other issues from employees. Much of the report is attributable to heavy drinking at company-sponsored events, including the alleged rape of an employee by a supervisor at Activision Blizzard’s subsidiary (Sledgehammer Games). The supervisor was fired after an internal investigation was conducted.
In addition, Jennifer O’Neill, who took on the role of co-head of Activision Blizzard’s subsidiary Blizzard, but resigned after 3 months, was sexually harassed at the company in the past and had an affair with Mike Ybarra, who was also co-head of Blizzard. He said that he complained to his advisor that the executives did not have strong convictions to change the harmful corporate culture because there was a gap in Daewoo.
Dan Bunting, co-director of Treyarch, which was acquired by Activision Blizzard in 2001, was also accused of sexually harassing an employee in 2017. An internal investigation report was drawn up in 2019 on the matter and recommended to fire Bunting, but Kotick did not fire him.
It is pointed out that CEO Kotick himself has been a suspect in many harassing acts, as well as criticizing that CEO Kotick has neglected to respond appropriately even though he was aware of sexual harm occurring within the company. According to reports, in 2006, CEO Kotick threatened to kill him via voicemail.
Whoever doubts the belief that this is the most welcoming and inclusive workplace, says Cortick, is publishing employee messages about reports like this and writing that inaccurately misleads the company and his leadership, doesn’t understand how important this is to him. said it wouldn’t.
Activision Blizzard criticized the report as inaccurate and misleading about the company and its CEO, ignoring the important changes it is making to create an inclusive workplace. In another statement from the Activision Blizzard Board of Directors, Robert Cortick is confident that he has adequately addressed the workplace issues that have been brought to his attention, and that Activision Blizzard will continue to work toward its goal of becoming the most welcoming and inclusive company in the industry.
Dissatisfaction with the statement is growing within the company, and the company’s unions have called for strikes and said they will not remain silent until Robert Kotick replaces the CEO. On November 16, 2021, it is said that more than 100 employees gathered in front of the company headquarters to demand the resignation of CEO Kotick. In response to the strike, Activision Blizzard issued a statement saying it is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and challenging environment for all employees worldwide, supporting their right to voice their opinions and concerns. Related information can be found here.
Add comment