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The high-profile gaming company said it will set up a $18 million fund to compensate people who have been harassed or discriminated against in its workplace.
Video game maker Activision Blizzard has reached a settlement with the US workplace discrimination regulator.
According to court documents filed on Monday, the company is one of the world’s most well-known gaming companies and has reached a settlement agreement with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The agency filed a lawsuit in California Federal Court earlier in the day, which is the result of nearly three years of investigation.
The agency stated that after employees complained about sexual harassment, Activision failed to take effective action. It discriminated against pregnant employees and retaliated against those employees, including firing them.
Activision said it will set up a $18 million fund to compensate people who have been harassed or discriminated against. The remaining money will be used for women’s charities in the video game industry or other gender equality measures. The company said it will also “upgrade” its policies and training on harassment and discrimination, and hire independent consultants to monitor its compliance with EEOC conditions. The agreement must be approved by the court and is valid for three years.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision is the manufacturer of Candy Crush Saga, Call of Duty, Overwatch and World of Warcraft. In the past few months, employees complained about its labor practices and Government officials took action, and its stock was hit hard.
The California Civil Rights Agency sued the company in July. Employees talked about harassment and discrimination, signed petitions, criticized the company’s defensive response to the lawsuit, and went on strike. A shareholder has filed a lawsuit claiming that Activision misled investors about the severity of its labor problems and related legal risks. The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the information disclosed by Activision to investors.
Activision said it is cooperating with various regulatory agencies and working hard to resolve workplace complaints. It recently “updated” the human resources department and hired a new “chief personnel officer” from Disney.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotic said in a company statement on Monday: “Discrimination, harassment or any form of unequal treatment is not allowed anywhere in our company. I thank the employees who bravely shared their experience.” He said He is committed to making the company an “inclusive, respectable and respectful” workplace.
Since the end of June, Activision’s stock price has fallen by about 20%. The stock price rose 2% to $76.67 in Tuesday afternoon trading.
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