
Activision Blizzard’s $18 million settlement with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has been authorized by a court (EEOC). The settlement was announced in September by the two groups, but it is only now being signed after California state officials sought to interfere.
Since the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a harassment lawsuit in July, alleging that Activision Blizzard fostered a culture of “continuous sexual harassment,” the firm has been under intense scrutiny. Activision Blizzard will set up a $18 million settlement fund as part of the consent decree, which will be used to pay victims of harassment and discrimination. Employees can file a claim for “sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, or associated retaliation” if they worked at the corporation between September 1, 2016 and Tuesday, March 29th.
Activision Blizzard will also require all “supervisory personnel” to undergo harassment and discrimination trainings, as well as enhance mental health options available to staff. Judge Dale S. Fischer granted the decree on Tuesday, and it will be in place for three years. The whole paper is available here or at the bottom of this story.
The DFEH claimed that the consent decree might jeopardize its ongoing litigation against Activision Blizzard and tried to intervene. The request for a stay in the case was granted by Judge Fischer. The DFEH indicated that it intends to challenge the consent decree during a hearing on Tuesday.
In a news statement, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said, “The agreement we struck with the EEOC last year represented our unshakable commitment to guarantee a safe and equitable working environment for all workers.” “Our objective is to make Activision Blizzard a role model for the industry, and we’ll keep working to eliminate harassment and discrimination in our workplace.” The court’s acceptance of this settlement is a significant step toward ensuring that our workers have redress if they are harassed or retaliated against.”