- 1000 Blizzard employees have signed a letter to the company’s leadership
- The workers are baffled by the company’s response to the recent allegations of mistreating women
- The employees are disappointed as they feel the company fails to uphold standards that help everyone feel safe
1000 Blizzard employees stand up against the company’s inadequate response to the recent allegations.
A Letter to the Company’s Leadership
Activision Blizzard recently got itself in yet another scandal. It revolves around accusations of the video game company engaging in unfair practices against women and severely mistreating female employees. This got Blizzard under the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s scrutiny, as the latter is taking the company to court.
In its defense, Activision Blizzard did not fully denounce the claims but claimed most of them were outdated distorted, and most of all fail to represent the company as it is today. However, many of the company’s employees beg to disagree as they have signed a letter to their higher-ups that describe Blizzard’s response to the lawsuit as repulsive.
The letter was shared by Jason Schreier of Bloomberg News. It has been signed by about 1000 of the whole workforce (estimated at around 9500 by the end of 2020). In it, the disgruntled employees say that the initial statement by Frances Townsend, who said that the reports were distorted, is abhorrent. According to the employees, it is dismissive and fails to properly address the issue. As a result, the Blizzard workers feel that the perpetrators are left unaccountable, which raises worries about the future safety of the company’s workforce.
Many workers feel betrayed and no longer trust a leadership that is so quick to deny such worrying accusations, especially when the accusations have been backed by dozens of current and former employees. The letter calls the Activision Blizzard leadership to recognize the seriousness of the allegations instead of easily dismissing them as a hoax.
The signed employees stand with those who have suffered abuse and encourage people to speak up. They hope to usher a change and to have the company’s leaders rethink their stance on the matter.
Blizzard Under Fire
In recent times the company has become known for rushing its games, cutting corners with the quality of its products, and even engaging in unfair business models. However, while most of the other reasons for a wave of disgruntlement haven’t been anything outside the ordinary, this case is different.
According to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the said “frat boy” culture has resulted in the suicide of a woman within the company. She was allegedly in a sexual relationship with a superior. The woman took her own life away during a business trip where he had reportedly brought sex toys and lubricant.
Additionally, many female workers have spoken up that some of their male colleagues would often come to work under the influence of alcohol and even to drink at the workplace, leading to the women doing most of the work.
In court, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing will demand Blizzard to answer for its misdoings and compensate the victims.
It is curious to see how the situation will unfold, as whatever happens here will surely have an effect on the industry as a whole. If the allegations end up being confirmed and appropriate action is taken, that is sure to discourage other companies from engaging in the same crooked practices.
