The court has agreed to pay Activision Blizzard $18 million to settle one of its sexual harassment cases. A decision that is criticized.
For many months, Activision Blizzard has been sued for discrimination and sexual harassment. The company was targeted by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She then accused the publisher of that “advocated sexist policies that allow for harassment and income inequality”
An inadequate first win
Last September, Activision Blizzard committed to building it an $18 million fund to compensate victims, assuming the lawsuit is dropped. As reported by the Washington PostFederal Judge Dale Fisher has approved this agreement between the publisher and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Victims who were on duty in the period from September 1, 2016 to March 29, 2022 are entitled to compensation. On the other hand, the affected employees are prohibited from suing Activision Blizzard for facts covered by the agreement.
The Fair Employment and Housing Division had opposed the settlement, arguing that a successful outcome would prejudice their lawsuit. The DFEH is suing Activision Blizzard “Son inability to deal with discrimination and sexual harassment”. Two problems arise. On the one hand, the estimated amount is too low. On the other hand, victims who are part of the agreement with the EEOC cannot appear in the process initiated by the DFEH.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick reacts to the decision
Bobby Kotick, who is still CEO of Activision Blizzard until his departure, said:
Our goal is to make Activision Blizzard a model for the industry. E• We will continue to focus on eliminating harassment and discrimination in our workplace. Court approval of this agreement is an important step in ensuring our employees have redress if they have experienced any form of harassment or retaliation.
