Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.
Activision Blizzard has stated that it will implement a new “zero-tolerance” harassment policy across its entire company.The announcement comes as part of a letter from Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who also outlined a further four changes the company will be implementing. These include a promised 50% increase in the percentage of women and non-binary people employed by the company, an investment in diversity, a waiveing of required arbitration of sexual harassment and discrimination claims, increased visibility on pay equity, and quarterly progress updates. Kotick also stated that he’ll take a significant pay cut until the company’s problems are resolved.
In an open letter published at 5:15am EDT on October 28, Kotick outlined the five changes Activision Blizzard is set to make, starting with the zero-tolerance harassment policy.
“In the past, when we discovered and substantiated harassment, we terminated some employees and provided verbal or written warnings or different disciplinary actions to others,” said Kotick. “In retrospect, to achieve our goals for workplace excellence, this approach is no longer adequate. We need tougher rules and consistent monitoring across the entire company to make sure reports are being handled correctly and discipline is appropriate and swift.”
The policy dictates that any Activision Blizzard employee that is found, via a new investigative process, to have retaliated against anyone for making a compliance complaint will have their employment terminated immediately.
“In many other instances of workplace misconduct, we will no longer rely on written warnings: termination will be the outcome, including in most cases of harassment based on any legally protected category,” the letter explained.
The policy also states that future employment contracts will make it clear that termination for these reasons will result in the immediate forfeiture of future compensation.
Kotick stated that all reports of harassment and retaliation will be investigated, and that the personnel who received the report will also be investigated to check if appropriate steps were taken.
Kotick also promised to increase the percentage of women and non-binary people in the Activision Blizzard workforce by 50% within five years. No specifics are given as to how this will be achieved, although Kotick stated that “Each franchise team, business unit, and functional area will be expected to have plans to help fulfill this ambition.”
The letter also stated that $250 million will be invested to “accelerate opportunities for diverse talent” over the next 10 years. “This commitment includes inspiring diverse talent to pursue career opportunities in gaming through an ABK Academy that includes partnerships with colleges and technical schools serving under-represented communities, mentorships for participants, and a rotating apprenticeship program that leads to game development jobs, similar to the programs we began with the United Negro College Fund and Management Leadership for Tomorrow,” Kotick said.
Learning, development, and advanced degree opportunities for current employees are also promised in order to help increase the number of leadership roles taken up by women and those from under-represented communities.
Activision Blizzard will also waive any obligation to arbitrate an individual claim of sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, or related retaliation. This is based on feedback from employees.
Pay equity will be reported annually in an effort to ensure fair pay between men and women at the company. In a similar move, Kotick promised that a quarterly progress update will be given to demonstrate changes being made across business units and franchise teams. A dedicated section on the company’s progress in this area will also be added to the annual shareholders report and the ESG report, covering gender hiring, diversity hiring, and workplace progress.
“Specifics on how these measures will be implemented and tracked will be forthcoming,” said Kotick.
“I truly wish not a single employee had had an experience at work that resulted in hurt, humiliation, or worse – and to those who were affected, I sincerely apologize,” the CEO said in his letter’s conclusion. “You have my commitment that we will do everything possible to honor our values and create the workplace every member of this team deserves.
“Your experiences, so courageously shared, serve as reason and reminder for why it is so important for us to do better. And we will.”
Kotick also announced that he has taken a pay reduction, receiving the lowest amount California law will allow, which amounts to $62,500. He will take no bonuses or equity. This salary will remain until the Board has determined that all the company’s gender-related goals and other commitments have been achieved.
The letter comes as Activision Blizzard navigates an ongoing lawsuit filed in early August by the state of California, accusing the company of fostering a "frat boy" culture, which resulted in sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, and unequal pay between men and women.
This culture spilled out into the annual fan convention BlizzCon, the setting of the infamous "Cosby Suite" story that took place at a hotel during the event each year. This year, the company announced that BlizzConline has been cancelled for 2022 and will be reimagined for future years.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/activision-blizzard-zero-tolerance-harassment-policy
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