The anti-discrimination committee is targeting its employer because more action is necessary, according to the employees. Activision Blizzard settled a September 2021 sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit initiated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“My hope in joining the committee is that we don’t let the fervor die down until there is meaningful, long-lasting change,” says Emily Knief, a senior motion graphic designer at Blizzard. “At the end of the day, I would like to go into work and not have to think about anything but my work. But based on everything that has been happening, even well before it broke through the headlines, it has been taking up a sizable portion of my day, having to think about the inaction of leadership.”
Among the committee’s demands listed in a four-page letter last month is for human resources to cease undocumented chats and to stop retaliating against workers who file complaints. “We appreciate that these employees want to join with us to further build a better Activision Blizzard and continue the progress we have already made,” Activision Blizzard spokesperson Jessica Taylor said in a statement. “We have, for example, already upgraded our lactation facilities, waived arbitration, hired new DEI and EEO leaders, and collaborated with employees to make our policies and processes more Trans inclusive, just to name a few issues the letter raises.”
Last August, Activision Blizzard confirmed that the executive who ran its Blizzard Entertainment unit and its senior human resources executive had left the California-based video gaming giant as it contended with a gender bias lawsuit.