Activision Blizzard was sued for gender discrimination in 2021. The reason for this stigma is that the company has a “Boys Club” culture. The company is preparing to settle this lawsuit with money.
Activision is preparing to settle the case by paying 54 million dollars
The company is set to settle the harassment lawsuit for about $54 million. The lawsuit, which highlighted the company’s workplace practices, was a key factor in Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which was approved in October after an 18-month legal battle.
In response to the settlement, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson released a statement emphasizing the company’s commitment to addressing the issues raised in the settlement. It is committed to implementing fair compensation and promotion policies and practices for all employees. The company also pledged to continue its efforts to promote inclusion by reaching out to, recruiting and retaining qualified candidates from underrepresented communities.
As part of the settlement, Activision Blizzard will take steps to ensure fairer standards in compensation and promotion. The company will provide monetary assistance to its female employees who were employees or contract workers in California between October 12, 2015 and December 31, 2020.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021 by the California Civil Rights Division (CRD), alleged that Activision Blizzard management willfully ignored complaints of pay inequality, harassment and discrimination based on gender and sexuality. Activision Blizzard has consistently denied these allegations and stated that internal investigations have found no merit to the accusations.
The settlement also includes the withdrawal of certain claims from the lawsuit in 2021. CRD acknowledged in the settlement that no court or independent investigation has proven allegations of systematic or pervasive sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard. The company’s board of directors, including CEO Robert Kotick, was also commended for not acting inappropriately in handling cases of workplace misconduct.
Initially, the state of California had wanted Activision to pay nearly $1 billion for its 2,500 employees, but the company is getting off with $54 million. What do you think? Please don’t forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments.