Activision Blizzard right here, to let you know that Activision Blizzard has carried out nothing unsuitable

An inside investigation from Activision Blizzard’s Board of Administrators claims the corporate has discovered “no proof” that its executives ignored or dismissed reported circumstances of harassment. The investigation, carried out by the Activision Blizzard board with exterior advisors, concludes the Board didn’t deliberately ignore or try to downplay cases of harassment that had been reported.

An SEC submitting particulars Activision Blizzard’s assertions. The submitting acknowledges allegations from each the California Division of Honest Employment and Housing and people within the media, however says it decided there was no proof.

“Opposite to most of the allegations, the Board and its exterior advisors have decided that there is no such thing as a proof to counsel that Activision Blizzard senior executives ever deliberately ignored or tried to downplay the cases of gender harassment that occurred and had been reported. That work additionally has not unearthed any proof, immediately or not directly, suggesting any try by any senior government or worker to hide data from the Board. Exterior advisors, after exhaustive evaluation, additionally decided the Board by no means deliberately ignored or tried to downplay the cases of gender harassment that occurred and had been reported.”

Moreover, it claims that media criticism of the Board and Activision Blizzard senior executives as being insensitive to office issues is “with out benefit.”

“Whereas there are some substantiated cases of gender harassment, these unlucky circumstances don’t assist the conclusion that Activision senior management or the Board had been conscious of and tolerated gender harassment or that there was ever a systemic situation with harassment, discrimination or retaliation.”

The continuing case

Activision Blizzard has been beneath scrutiny for a while, because the California DFEH sued the corporate following an investigation into its office tradition. A Wall Road Journal report from final November indicated that CEO Bobby Kotick was conscious “for years” of misconduct allegations on the firm, and intervened to forestall a firing in at the least one case.

It’s price noting the language in Activision Blizzard’s submitting, because it specifies cases of harassment that “occurred and had been reported.” The corporate did settle with the EEOC for $18 million. The corporate has additionally pledged different methods wherein it plans to make restitution, together with new hires, waived arbitration for particular person claims, and improved transparency and hiring practices. It’s additionally price noting that Kotick may obtain a bonus, as famous by Axios, if Activision’s board determines firm tradition has improved.

In the meantime at Activision Blizzard, Raven Software program QA employees efficiently voted to unionize. Within the wake of that, Microsoft signed a landmark neutrality take care of the Communication Staff of America, pledging the corporate will take a impartial method ought to Activision employees think about unionizing. That settlement would take impact as soon as the huge acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft is full.