Activision Blizzard to introduce ‘zero tolerance’ harassment policy


Activision Blizzard is currently facing ongoing serious accusations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. For more information, 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 throughout its company.

The ad comes as part of a letter from Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who also outlined four other changes the company will implement. These include a promised 50% increase in the percentage of women and non-binary people employed by the company, an investment in diversity, a waiver of the required arbitration of sexual harassment and discrimination claims, increased visibility of pay equity, and quarterly updates from progress. Kotick also stated that he will accept a significant pay cut until the company’s problems are resolved.

In an open letter posted at 5:15 am EDT on October 28, Kotick outlined the five changes Activision Blizzard is prepared to make, starting with the zero-tolerance harassment policy.

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“In the past, when we discovered and found harassment, we fired some employees and provided verbal or written warnings or different disciplinary actions to others,” Kotick said. “In hindsight, to achieve our goals of excellence in the workplace, this approach is no longer appropriate. We need stricter rules and constant monitoring throughout the company to ensure that reports are handled correctly and that discipline is appropriate and prompt. “

Policy dictates that any Activision Blizzard employee who, through a new investigation process, has retaliated against anyone for filing a compliance complaint will have their employment terminated immediately.

“In many other cases of misconduct in the workplace, we will no longer trust written warnings: the result will be termination, even in most cases of harassment based on any legally protected category,” the letter explains.

The policy also states that future employment contracts will make it clear that termination for these reasons will result in the immediate loss 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 see if appropriate action was taken.

Kotick also promised to increase the percentage of women and non-binary people in Activision Blizzard’s workforce by 50% within five years. No details are given on how this will be achieved, although Kotick stated that “each franchise team, business unit and functional area is 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 talents to pursue career opportunities in the game through an ABK Academy that includes partnerships with universities and technical schools that serve underrepresented communities, mentors for participants, and a rotating learning program that leads to development work. games, similar to the programs we started with the United Negro College Fund and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, ”Kotick said.

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Learning, development and advanced degree opportunities are also promised for current employees to help increase the number of leadership roles assumed by women and people from underrepresented 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 employee feedback.

Pay equity will be reported annually in an effort to ensure fair pay between men and women in the company. In a similar move, Kotick promised that a quarterly progress update will be delivered to demonstrate the changes that are being made to business units and franchise teams. A section dedicated to the company’s progress in this area will also be added to the annual shareholders report and the ESG report, which covers hiring by gender, hiring by diversity and progress in the workplace.

“Details on how these measures will be implemented and will be followed up will be released shortly,” Kotick said.

“I really wish that not a single employee had a work experience that resulted in pain, humiliation or worse, and to those who were affected, I sincerely apologize,” the CEO said in the conclusion of his letter. “You are committed to doing everything we can to honor our values ​​and create the workplace that every member of this team deserves.

“Their experiences, so courageously shared, serve as a motive and a reminder of why it is so important to us to do better. And we will. “

Kotick also announced that he has accepted a salary reduction, receiving the lowest amount allowed by California law, which amounts to $ 62,500. It will not accept bonuses or shares. This salary will be maintained until the Board of Directors determines that all the company’s gender goals and other commitments have been achieved.

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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 wages between men and women. .

This culture spread to the annual BlizzCon fan convention, the scene of the infamous History of “Cosby Suite” which took place in a hotel during the event every year. This year, the company announced that BlizzConline has been canceled for 2022 and will be reinvented for the next few years.

Matt Purslow is the UK news and entertainment writer for IGN.


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