- Activision Blizzard has fallen under scrutiny once again
- The game company is accused of unfairly treating female employees, sometimes with a fatal outcome
- In its defense, Activision Blizzard pointed out that most of the allegations are based on outdated facts that do not represent the company as it is today
Allegations of mistreating female workers take the game company, Activision Blizzard, to court in California.
Activision Blizzard Once Again Accused of Workplace Misconduct
California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing is taking Activision Blizzard to court on account of the latter’s mistreatment of female employees. The lawsuit is based on two years worth of investigation by the state’s top labor agency. According to what was found, Activision Blizzard’s workplace has adopted an unpleasant “frat boy” culture that results in daily misconduct against the women in the company.
The women in the company are already a minority and make up for merely 20 percent of the whole workforce. Because of that, they are easy prey to numerous displays of bad behavior from some of their male coworkers. According to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, women are not only paid less but are daily victims of sexual misconduct. The reports continue by pointing out that many of the male employees indulge in drinking alcohol at the workplace, resulting in the aforementioned behavior.
The misconduct in Activision Blizzard ranges from sexually suggestive comments about a female employee’s body to refusals to promote other women because of the risk of them becoming pregnant and taking maternity leave.
Moreover, complaints have it that some of the male employees come to work after drinking the night excessively before and don’t do a quality job, leaving most of the work to the women in the company.
A grimmer example is a female worker who ended up committing suicide during a business trip where she was accompanied by a male supervisor with whom she previously had a relationship. According to the complaint, the supervisor had brought all kinds of sexual items to the trip.
Activision Blizzard’s Response
The game company responded to the claims by emphasizing the complaints are outdated, distorted, and don’t truthfully represent the company as it is today. A spokesperson of the game company stated that Activision Blizzard has been transparent and cooperative with the lawsuit, much unlike the Department of Fair Employment and Housing which hands out vague accusations without being transparent about them.
Activision Blizzard pointed out that it has made numerous changes in the last few years and that the accusations against them fail to reflect that.
Department of Fair Employment and Housing demands Activision Blizzard to reimburse the victims for the damages.
The current situation is only one of numerous recent dramas surrounding Activision Blizzard. Earlier this year, the company was critiqued for firing numerous people while increasing the salary of the chief executive officer at the same time.
