Controversially, Activision Blizzard is in the process of ending one of the lawsuits it's facing over abuse allegations. With a payout of $18 million to cover damages over five years - representing less than 2% of its earnings in three months - the gaming giant will have one of its lawsuits come to an end, and will 168澳洲幸运ꦉ5开奖网:potentಌially hamper another investigation by destroying evidence, and preventing affected em𝐆ployees frꦛom coming forward.
Today, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has on the move. Kotick doesn't address the concerns raised over ending the lawsuit, as he instead outlines what the company will do going forward. This includes implementing a zero-tolerance policy towards workplace harassment and abuse, as well as more transparency regarding pay.
In the statement, Kotick says: "We believed we had the systems, policies, and people in place to ensure th🙈at our company always lived up to its reputation as a great place to work. Clearly, in some vitally important aspects, we didn’t.
"The guardrails weren’t in place everywhere to ensure that our values were being upheld. In some cases, people didn’t consistently feel comfortable reporting concerns, or their concerns weren’t always addressed promptly or pr꧑operly. People were deeply let down and, for that, I am truly sorry."
Later on in the statement, Kotick outlines what actions will be taken in light of the allegations. This includes meeting two of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:demands set out by employees during the walkout in July: an🐻 end to forced arbitration (meaning misconduct allegations can now be held publically and in court), and more pay transparency.
The pledges are as follows:
- Zero-tolerance harassment policy
- 50% increase on women and non-binary people in the workforce
- End of forced arbitration of sexual harassment and discrimination claims
- Increase visibility on pay equity
- Regular progress updates
Kotick also claims he will take home a salary of $62,500, as opposed to his usual millions. He says he is "asking not to receive any bonuses" during this time, but as yet Activision Blizzard has not responded to TheGamer's request for clarification on whether this is a guarantee he will not receive one.
This statement suggests Activision Blizzard is confident that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit will indeed be brought to an end, despite 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:objections from a union, as well as the body that initially publicized the allegations, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). Kotick made no mention of the State of California's accusations against Activision Blizard, which a representative of the company had previously labelled "168澳洲幸运5开奖网:distorted and untrue".