Activision Blizzard has paid out $18 million dollars to female employees following the allegations of sexism that surfaced in 2021. The company is still denying accountability for anything that has happened, and the employees who have received the payout are obliged to drop their lawsuits.
Activision had settled the lawsuit in 2021, on the same day it was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. By now, hundreds of the company’s former and current workers have received compensation, with Activision still denying any wrongdoing. Female workers of the company had come forward with allegations of pregnancy discrimination and gender-based harassment in 2021.
Activision tries to settle discrimination and abuse claims
The settlement was made under no clear admission of liability, so the company does not have to admit the allegation, yet the employees who receive the money have to drop their claims. Post this settlement, any employee who’s received a part of it cannot make allegations of harassment in any other investigations. This can prove to be detrimental to the other ongoing investigations, such as the one undertaken by California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. After accepting the money, employees will have to drop their claims, for they will be considered released under US state and federal laws. Neither they or an agency would be able to raise them in any investigations against Activision in the future.
In the past Activision had tried to address the claims of abuse made by employees, however, this development is indicating towards the company denying any misdoings. This was clear, however, from the beginning, as the company is working with WilmerHale, a law firm that specializes in anti-union experience. Following the settlement, only action Activision had taken was firing two high-level employees against whom the allegations had been raised – former President of the Blizzard, J. Allen Brack, and lead designer of their Diablo 4 title, Jesse McCree. The CEO, Bobby Kotick, however, is still employed, despite the reports that stated he was aware of misconduct and sexual harassment happening in his company.
