Activision Blizzard released a press release this morning addressing the myriad investigations into the company and its handling of its alleged toxic workplace culture. In a release just a day after news broke that the company was facing an investigation by the SEC, Activision Blizzard states it remains "committed to making Activision Blizzard on of the best, most inclusive places to work anywhere."
The release comes after multiple new charges and investigations have been opened up against the company, including the aforementioned SEC investigation looking into workplace practices and disclosures. Additionally the video game publisher has been charged with an unfair labor complaint in the past week with the National Labor Relations Board, which alleges the company engaged in coercive tactics to suppress employees organizing against the company.
In the press release, Activision Blizzard CEO, who has been subpoenaed by the SEC as part of their investigation, states that the company is committed to working in good faith with regulators, as well as addressing "all workplace issues" that have arisen.
"We are deeply committed to making Activision Blizzard one of the best, most inclusive places to work anywhere. There is absolutely no place anywhere in our Company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind. While we continue to work in good faith with regulators to address and resolve past workplace issues, we also continue to move ahead with our own initiatives to ensure that we are the very best place to work. We remain committed to addressing all workplace issues in a forthright and prompt manner.”
The press release mentions the recent NLRB and SEC investigations, as well as an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), stating that the company is working with regulators and, specifically addressing the SEC complaint, that they are "confident in its prior disclosures."
The press release also announced the addition of its new Chief People Officer, Julie Hodges, who comes to Activision Blizzard from The Walt Disney Company. This news also comes a day after it was announced Blizzard seems to have lost their Chief Legal Officer at the company, Claire Hart. Hart made the announcement of her departure on LinkedIn late yesterday, stating that their next move will come after a "short break."
One notable omission is any mention of the ABK Worker's Alliance and their demands of the company. The ABK Worker's Alliance is a organized effort by current Activision Blizzard and King employees dedicated to changing the workplace culture at the company. The group filed the complaint with the NLRB in conjunction with the Communication Workers of America's Campaign to Organize Digital Employees last week, as well as staged a walkout in protest after the initial lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing in July. The lawsuit has had far reaching reactions from around the industry, with one of the more notable ones coming from ArenaNet co-founder Jeff Strain calling for unionization within the games industry.[Correction 9/22/2021 3:31PM]: An original version of this story listed Claire Hart as Activision Blizzard's Chief Legal Officer, when she was only Blizzard's CLO. This has been updated and we apologize for that error.]
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