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[havoc00]

Videogame maker Activision Blizzard has agreed to pay nearly $55 million to settle a California civil-rights lawsuit brought over complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination and pay disparities by women employees that helped trigger the company’s acquisition by Microsoft.

The settlement, announced by the California Civil Rights Department on Friday, resolves the lawsuit filed against the “Call of Duty” videogame studio by the agency in 2021 over claims that it “discriminated against women at the company, including by denying promotion opportunities and paying them less than men for doing substantially similar work,” the CRD said.

The agreement, subject to court approval, will see Activision pay nearly $46 million into a settlement fund dedicated to compensating women employees and contract workers at the company, plus more than $9 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. Additionally, Activision will take steps “to help ensure fair pay and promotion practices at the company,” including retaining an independent consultant to evaluate its compensation and promotion policies.

Yet the settlement also sees the CRD withdraw its initial claims alleging a culture of widespread workplace sexual harassment at Activision, according to a copy of the agreement provided to MarketWatch. The document notes that the department is filing an amended complaint that removes the sexual-harassment allegations against the company and focuses on the gender-based pay and promotion claims.
The CRD made no note of its prior sexual-harassment claims against Activision in its announcement Friday. A spokesperson for the department said the statement “largely speaks for itself with respect to the historic nature of this more than $50 million settlement agreement, which will bring direct relief and compensation to women who were harmed by the company’s discriminatory practices.”
In a statement, an Activision spokesperson said the company is “gratified that the CRD has agreed to file an amended complaint that entirely withdraws its 2021 claims alleging widespread and systemic workplace harassment at Activision Blizzard.”

Activision Blizzard to pay $55 million to settle California civil-rights lawsuit

Videogame maker Activision Blizzard has agreed to pay nearly $55 million to settle a California civil-rights lawsuit brought over complaints of sexual...

www.marketwatch.com

WSJ News Exclusive | Activision Blizzard to Pay More Than $50 Million to Settle Lawsuit That Spurred Microsoft’s Takeover

California’s Civil Rights Department sued Activision in 2021, alleging its leadership ignored numerous employee complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination and pay disparity.

www.wsj.com

 

[Draugoth]

That money should come from Bobby pocket

 

[mitch1971]

A couple of exclusive skins on the COD market should cover that.

 

[havoc00]

That money should come from Bobby pocket

 

[Salty Popsicle]

Seems like a pretty low settlement considering how much money Activision brings in every year, but at least the victims won.

 

[R3TRO]

I expected more tbh.

 

[kiphalfton]

When there's allegations regarding pay disparity, how do people find out that there are disparities in pay in the first place? It doesn't make sense, as it's seen as disrespectful to ask other people how much they make; it's taboo for all intents and purposes. And even if you use Glassdoor as your "evidence", there is zero context provided.

If people are talking about it, then run it up the chain of command, I don't get how the issue isn't just swept under the rug when they report it? Seems like most times you run issues up the chain of command, it generally goes nowhere.

Last but not least, any time a job listing does post the pay range, it's always some huge band. Sometimes as ridiculous as $50k - $80k ranges (or more).

I don't understand how any of this gets far enough to be substantiated, and get to the point of legal proceedings.

 

[Banjo64]

Believe me with Bobby halfway out, this settlement and Xbox being in bed with the they/thems ABK are about to go nuclear woke.

 

[Dick Jones]

That money should come from Bobby pocket

It all started with something coming from Bobby's pocket.

 

[Tripolygon]

When there's allegations regarding pay disparity, how do people find out that there are disparities in pay in the first place? It doesn't make sense, as it's seen as disrespectful to ask other people how much they make; it's taboo for all intents and purposes. And even if you use Glassdoor as your "evidence", there is zero context provided.

That's the trick, you are made to believe asking people how much they make is disrespectful and companies do not like to disclose that information, but you can totally ask coworkers and compare. I think there are laws being passed now requiring employees to disclose how much they pay for a position.

If people are talking about it, then run it up the chain of command, I don't get how the issue isn't just swept under the rug when they report it? Seems like most times you run issues up the chain of command, it generally goes nowhere.

Last but not least, any time a job listing does post the pay range, it's always some huge band. Sometimes as ridiculous as $50k - $80k ranges (or more).

That's them trying to hide how much they actually pay. It's a loophole they are trying to use to not disclose how much they pay for the position.

 

[winjer]

Pocket change for a billion dollar company such as Activision and Microsoft.

 

[Deerock71]

 

[Kuranghi]

I get paid substantially more money than many of my colleagues who work the same number of hours as me in environments with more opportunities to earn said money, many of these colleagues are women, but its not due to sexism, its because I'm ace at my job and my results compel my company to pay me more to keep me happy and continue to provide these results.

Sometimes I'm not happy with my level of pay and I go to the account manager and tell her I deserve more using well reasoned arguments and evidence and not always, but often they pay me the extra I ask for, I think we can presume its due to the value with which I provide them.

My job is face-to-face with the customer product sales so being a beautiful woman (or man, but to a lesser extent since in relationships the woman is the one who decides how much and on what the couples' money is spent, for the most part) is a large advantage, you could literally be talking complete shite (not lying but just saying flowery emotional crap) and be pretty in the face, have a great bum and huge baps and get more sales because of these things.

Thats not exactly fair on me is it but I don't go crying about it saying "can we please ban makeup and all wear muumuus from now on" lol. If the average man is naturally more geared to being confident, knowing their worth and backing it up at the right time how is that different from manipulating customers emotionally using your physical traits or ability to enhance said traits via makeup and clothes?

Why is being paid less than a co-worker of a different sex who works the same hours and is in the same position automatically seen as discrimination based on their sex? The results should speak for themselves, I'm guessing in the industries where these lawsuits are happening theres no way simple way to quantify the value of the employee based on their results, so it ends up like "well it could be that sex discrimination is purely the reason, so lets just settle it"

Whereas in my field you just point to a number of items sold, revenue generated and customer/business relationship feedback and go "this guy is ace and makes our client(s) very happy, so lets keep him happy with money, positive feedback thats useful for future jobs, flexibility of working hours, etc".

Its clearly possible to understand the differences between men and women and treat them slightly differently but also to not panic and give in to trash modern victimhood culture. Experience and value delivered to the company you work for matters when assigning salaries.

My ex works in academia and she knows she could be get more money each year if she asked for a larger increase in salary at her reviews but she doesn't, for example, ask for 5%, then learn her male coworker asked for an got 8% and then say "ohhh its because hes a man" lol thats fucking stupid. She just isn't that driven by money, so to her the stress of that negotiation + extra hours that must be put in throughout the year isn't worth it to her to make an extra grand.

What about all the examples of this happening where its two people of the same sex, does the one that got less have good grounds to file a lawsuit also? I'm thinking no.

 

[TransTrender]

Good.
I'm glad they had to give an ounce of flesh on this one.
I thought they were going to get away with the miniscule federal settlement that was muddled by Bobby Boy's judges along with the lawyer collusion.

 

[havoc00]

I expected more tbh.

Bobby always wins

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I have a high threshold for touchy-feely bullshit in interpersonal workplace relations, but from what I remember they drove a woman to at least attempt suicide. Like full-on finding, and posting nudes of co-workers, absolutely fucked behavior.

Personally I'd love for every red cent of these lawsuits to come out of Bobby's golden parachute, but unfortunately sometimes the evil people get away with it.

Edit- If somebody posted photos of my fat, naked ass I'd expect all the victims to file a class-action lawsuit on the sick bastard who subjected them to that horror.

 

[poppabk]

Seems like a pretty low settlement considering how much money Activision brings in every year, but at least the victims won.

The lawyers were victims?

 

[Salty Popsicle]

The lawyers were victims?

The Lawyers got $9 million out of the $50 million. They did their jobs and came out with a settlement, so they deserve their dues as well.