Activision Blizzard is ending its hybrid work policy for its quality assurance teams, requiring in-office work for QA employees in El Segundo, Austin and Minneapolis. The ABK Workers Alliance has pushed back against this mandate, calling the move a "soft layoff."
Activision Blizzard will make all temporary and contract QA workers full employees in July and boost minimum hourly pay to $20 this month.
Activision Blizzard employees have filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the publisher of both "intimidation and union busting" in the wake of the current ongoing lawsuit surrounding the gaming giant.
Activision Blizzard's employees have formed a coalition of workers across the publisher's studios. The coalition, which calls itself the ABK Workers Alliance, is stepping up to organize the collective actions taken in response to the lawsuit allegations against Activision Blizzard late last month, specifically criticizing the lawfirm the gaming giant has chosen to audit the workplace.