Activision Blizzard Lawsuit Update - Contract Workers and HR Interference Added

[Stoy]

Activision Blizzard Lawsuit Update - Contract Workers and HR Interference Added
According to an article from Axios, the state of California has expended its anti-discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard to cover temporary contract workers. They have also alleged that the company has interfered with the investigation by shredding documents. Below is the official response from Activision Blizzard on the updated lawsuit, and click the banner below for the full article.

Throughout our engagement with the DFEH, we have complied with every proper request in support of its review even as we had been implementing reforms to ensure our workplaces are welcoming and safe for every employee. Those changes continue today, and include:

• Several high-level personnel changes;
• Revamped hiring and recruiting practices requiring diverse interview panels;
• Greater transparency on pay equity;
• Expanded and improved training and investigative capabilities for human resource and compliance staff;
• Created investigation teams outside of business units to support greater independence;
• Restructured divisions to support greater accountability;
• Enhanced review processes to include evaluation of managers by employees;
• Clear boundaries on workplace behavior with a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and other actions that diminish or marginalize.

With regards to claims that we have destroyed information by shredding documents, those claims are not true. We took appropriate steps to preserve information relevant to the DFEH investigation.

We strive to be a company that recognizes and celebrates the diverse talents and perspectives that lead to the creation of great, globally appealing entertainment. We have provided the DFEH with clear evidence that we do not have gender pay or promotion disparities. Our senior leadership is increasingly diverse, with a growing number of women in key leadership roles across the company.

We share DFEH’s goal of a safe, inclusive workplace that rewards employees equitably and are committed to setting an example that others can follow.

[Dasn]

oh yea, this was a thing

[ONCHEhap]

I appreciate the state not backing down and pushing harder against Activision-Blizzard. Now to hope they refuse to accept a settlement outside of court

[OrangeJuice]

"We took appropriate steps to preserve information relevant to the DFEH investigation."
Means they destroyed evidence but will get away with it by claiming they felt the evidence was irrelevant to the investigation.

"We have provided the DFEH with clear evidence that we do not have gender pay or promotion disparities. Our senior leadership is increasingly diverse, with a growing number of women in key leadership roles across the company."

This explains why they've been hiring so many women and creating shared positions the last couple of months, as if a couple of months completely erases and exonerates them from decades worth of abuse. Basically, "forget what we've done, look what we're doing".

Everything they've said is lawyer talk for "we're scumbags and we're lying but you can't prove it haha."

[Laqweeta]

Really hoping Ion is part of the "several high-level personnel"

[Biomega]

From what I understand, the allegation isn't that they purposely destroyed documents because of the lawsuit, but that they destroyed documents they shouldn't have as a matter of procedure - i.e. they were required by law to keep certain documents for at least 24 months, but routinely shredded them after 30 days. This has the side effect of hindering the investigation (aside form being unlawful in and of itself due to regulatory requirements concerning employee data), but that doesn't mean that it was done specifically with the goal of hindering this investigation. It could have, of course; that will have to be determined. But on the face of it, it seems like it was bad practice, period, not necessarily an attempt at a coverup.

[Nerovar]

Certainly a better story than 9.1.

[uuuhname]

they're going to announce the next 5 CoD games on the coattails of this.

[Dakhath]

Really hoping Ion is part of the "several high-level personnel"

This is just sad. You don't like a game dev so you hope he assaulted women instead of saying something like "I hope the people that did wrong are brought to justice."

[uuuhname]

This is just sad. You don't like a game dev so you hope he assaulted women instead of saying something like "I hope the people that did wrong are brought to justice."

that's all they really care about, not that sexual assault even happened but that their game isn't exactly how they want it to be.

[anveena]

Hopefully none of the classic team is involved in this stuff.

[Laqweeta]

This is just sad. You don't like a game dev so you hope he assaulted women instead of saying something like "I hope the people that did wrong are brought to justice."

Yes. The man ruined the game.

Again, I hope he's part of that several.

[Julmara]

shure you didnt shred those documents while lying your asses of to the investors shuuuure you didnt

[exsanguinate]

I want to see them burn, going down or even shut down. I hate this company for what they did to people and the game.

[TheLucky1]

Makes you wonder what was in those documents if they'd rather take a fine and another smack to their reputation.

[Couchpotato2013]

“Silly old us, we thought this machine was the digital copier and fax machine we needed to send the appropriate documents to the state. Whoopsie.” - Blizzard

[uuuhname]

just imagining the room where they talked to a lawyer about this looking something like~

[BananaHandsB]

Blizz making it real ez to call it quits. Maybe stop making me do all these bullshit dailies. lol nah ofc

[MoanaLisa]

I was wondering if and when contract workers would come into this. Now they have. That's not better for Blizzard. While y'all spent weeks on the National Inquirer(esque) story of Afrasiabi and the Cosby Room this was always going to be the part of the lawsuit that was going to be the crux of things. Harassment is a whole lot of different things and Blizzard—as well as the industry generally—was doing a lot of them.

[Polybius]

This is just sad. You don't like a game dev so you hope he assaulted women instead of saying something like "I hope the people that did wrong are brought to justice."

Doubt Ion would be in on it but strikes me as the guy that wouldn’t say a thing nor flinch at the situation. Just comes off as cold and stubborn.