Activision Blizzard Commits to Expanded Workplace Initiatives, Reaches Agreement with the EEOC
September 27 2021 - 7:03PM
Business Wire
The Company Will Also Develop Tools and
Training Programs to Assist Efforts to Improve Workplace
Experiences
Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI) today confirmed that, as part
of its effort to have the most welcoming, inclusive workplace, it
has reached an agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) to settle claims and to further strengthen
policies and programs to prevent harassment and discrimination in
the company’s workplace. Under the agreement, the principal terms
of which are summarized in Attachment A to this press release,
Activision Blizzard has committed to create an $18 million fund to
compensate and make amends to eligible claimants. Any amounts not
used for claimants will be divided between charities that advance
women in the video game industry or promote awareness around
harassment and gender equality issues as well as company diversity,
equity, and inclusion initiatives, as approved by the EEOC. The
agreement is subject to court approval.
The company also announced an initiative to develop software
tools and training programs to improve workplace policies and
practices for employers across the technology industry.
Commenting on the agreement, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby
Kotick said: “There is no place anywhere at our company for
discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind, and I
am grateful to the employees who bravely shared their experiences.
I am sorry that anyone had to experience inappropriate conduct, and
I remain unwavering in my commitment to make Activision Blizzard
one of the world’s most inclusive, respected, and respectful
workplaces.”
Kotick added: “We will continue to be vigilant in our commitment
to the elimination of harassment and discrimination in the
workplace. We thank the EEOC for its constructive engagement as we
work to fulfill our commitments to eradicate inappropriate conduct
in the workplace.”
In addition to the agreed funds, the company is taking
additional steps, including:
- Upgrading policies, practices, and training to further prevent
and eliminate harassment and discrimination in its workplaces,
including implementing an expanded performance review system with a
new equal opportunity focus;
- Providing ongoing oversight and review of the Company’s
training programs, investigation policies, disciplinary framework
and compliance by appointing a third-party equal opportunity
consultant whose findings will be regularly reported to our Board
of Directors as well as the Commission.
About Activision Blizzard
Our mission, to connect and engage the world through epic
entertainment has never been more important. Through communities
rooted in our video game franchises we enable hundreds of millions
of people to experience joy, thrill and achievement. We enable
social connections through the lens of fun, and we foster purpose
and a sense of accomplishment through healthy competition. Like
sport, but with broader accessibility, our players can find purpose
and meaning through competitive gaming. Video games, unlike any
other social or entertainment media, have the ability to break down
the barriers that can inhibit tolerance and understanding.
Celebrating differences is at the core of our culture and ensures
we can create games for players of diverse backgrounds in the 190
countries our games are played.
As a member of the Fortune 500 and as a component company of the
S&P 500, we have an extraordinary track record of delivering
superior shareholder returns for over 30 years.
Our enduring franchises are some of the world’s most popular,
including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, World of Warcraft®,
Overwatch®, Hearthstone®, Diablo®, StarCraft®, Candy Crush™, Bubble
Witch™, Pet Rescue™ and Farm Heroes™. Our sustained success has
enabled the company to support corporate social responsibility
initiatives that are directly tied to our franchises. As an
example, our Call of Duty Endowment has helped find employment for
over 85,000 veterans.
Learn more information about Activision Blizzard and how we
connect and engage the world through epic entertainment on the
company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within
the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,”
“believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,”
“anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,”
“might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of
future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking
statements. Such statements are subject to numerous important
factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or
results to differ materially from the Company’s current
expectations. Such factors include, but are not limited to: court
approval of the agreement with the EEOC and successful
implementation of the requirements of the agreement with the EEOC
as described in this press release, in Attachment A to this press
release, and in the agreement with the EEOC. Any forward-looking
statements that the Company makes in this press release speak only
as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no
obligation to update forward-looking statements whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of
this press release.
Attachment A
Summary of Agreement
Below is a summary of the principal terms of the agreement with
the EEOC, which is subject to approval by the United States
District Court for the Central District of California.
- Creation of an $18 million fund, with any amounts not used for
claimants divided between contributions to non-profit organizations
whose mission involves advancing women in the video game and tech
sectors or who promote awareness around sexual harassment and
gender equality and further investments in diversity and inclusion
efforts at the Company that go beyond what we agreed to with the
EEOC, all as approved by the EEOC.
- The Company will upgrade policies, practices, and training to
prevent and eliminate harassment and discrimination in the
workplace, including implementing an expanded performance review
system with a new equal opportunity focus;
- The Company will engage a neutral, third-party equal employment
opportunity consultant – a non-employee who must be approved by the
EEOC – who will provide ongoing oversight of the Company’s
compliance with the agreement. This independent consultant’s
findings will be reported directly to the EEOC and Activision
Blizzard’s Board of Directors; and
- The Company will hire an internal EEO Coordinator with relevant
experience in gender discrimination, harassment, and related
retaliation to assist the Company and the neutral, third-party EEO
consultant with implementation of the agreement’s
requirements.
Except as otherwise noted in the agreement, its terms will
remain in effect for three years from its effective date. The full
text of the agreement, which sets out the commitments in detail, is
available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s
website at investor.activision.com/consent-decree-with-EEOC.
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