With its agreement with Microsoft still pending a fine thread, it seems that Activision Blizzard has finally begun to advance in the resolution of some of the already well-known lawsuits that the company faces, having now ordered a judge who will have to pagar the amount of 18 million dollars to settle a federal lawsuit which accuses the company of fostering a sexist and discriminatory workplace.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the lawsuit in September and that same afternoon, Activision Blizzard agreed to establish a fund for the full amount stipulated for employees who suffered sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the study, and who worked at the company in the period from September 1, 2016 to today. Eligible employees and former employees must choose to be paid and can file claims related to sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, and retaliation.
Although this ruling is far from the end of legal problems for Activision Blizzard. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing first sued the studio in July 2021 after a two-year investigation into allegations that sexism, gender-based harassment and a “frat culture” pervaded the studio. developer offices.
However, anyone who signs on as a plaintiff in the EEOC lawsuit will not be eligible to participate in the state’s case, at least not when it involves harassment, retaliation or pregnancy discrimination. However, if they have additional claims such as unequal pay, they can still be brought forward in this lawsuit.
What’s more, the DFEH, activists and Activision Blizzard employees they have argued that the figure of 18 million is too low to adequately compensate all possible claimants, which they estimate would be adequate for a maximum of only 60 workers, when the number of those affected amounts to several hundred. Previously, the California DFEH fought a similar ruling in the Riot Games case after a 2018 class action lawsuit that alleged rampant sexual harassment and discrimination at the studio. Riot was originally ordered to pay $10 million to eligible employees, which after being blocked on the grounds that it was too small, ended up being revised to increase to 100 million dollars.
Still mired in this spiral of bad reputation, it now remains to be seen if these millionaire payments could affect what, instead of Activision Blizzard, it ends up being Microsoft the one that takes a step back regarding the purchase of the study.
