California accuses Activision Blizzard of destroying evidence of abuse

The state of California has recently expanded his discrimination trial against Activision Blizzard, Axes reports. In addition to suing the huge gaming conglomerate for its culture of harassment and abuse of female employees, the Fair Employment and Housing Department is also reviewing its treatment of temporary workers.

The updated lawsuit alleges Activision Blizzard failed to cooperate with the California investigation. He cites Activision Blizzard’s nondisclosure agreements, the requirement that employees speak with the company before contacting the State Department, and the hiring of anti-union law firm WilmerHale as examples of the company’s lack of cooperation.

Read more: Everything that has happened since the Activision Blizzard lawsuit was filed

Activision Blizzard is also accused of having human resources personnel destroy documents relevant to the California investigation, which they are required by law to keep and make available to investigators.

The expanded scope of the trial comes two weeks after the announcement of the terrible working conditions at Activision Blizzard’s various quality assurance offices, many of which hire contract workers rather than salaried employees to avoid paying benefits. And while low wages, long hours and lack of job security are bad enough, some sources have also spoken of discriminatory attitudes towards trans workers.

“The legacy of Blizzard is to say, ‘You work for Blizzard, aren’t you lucky?’ An anonymous tester said. Kotaku. “But the reality is, we are dealing with difficult people all the time, in a culture that cares little about mental health and expects the same kind of ‘smile all the time’ as retail. The only way this can really change is to change the culture and the attitude of those in charge. “

Activision Blizzard, which develops and publishes a list of high-profile games, including Tony Hawk’s professional skater, World of warcraft, and Monitoring, was a lightning rod for critics following the state of California original trial of July 20 come to light. Since then, employees have organized a massive disengagement, a second legal action has been filed, and many notable The figures left the company for their alleged roles by promoting abuse or allowing them to continue.

But hey, a new Call of Duty fate, so I guess it’s not all bad. Activision even did everyone a favor by obscuring the fact that he is involved in the development of the game. Which company !

Update (08/24/2021, 7:03 PM ET): An Activision Blizzard spokesperson provided Kotaku with a statement regarding the extension of the trial. We’ve included it in full below.

Throughout our engagement with the DFEH, we responded to all appropriate requests in support of its review, even though we had implemented reforms to ensure that our workplaces are welcoming and safe for every employee. These changes continue today and include:

• Several high-level personnel changes
• Revamped hiring and recruiting practices requiring diverse interview panels
• More transparency on pay equity
• Extensive and improved training and investigative capabilities for HR and compliance staff
• Creation of investigative teams outside of business units to foster greater independence
• Divisions restructured to foster greater accountability
• Improved review processes to include employee assessment of managers
• Clear limits on behavior at work with a zero tolerance approach to harassment and other actions that diminish or marginalize.

We strive to be a company that recognizes and celebrates the diverse talents and perspectives that lead to the creation of quality and engaging entertainment on a global scale. We have provided the DFEH with clear evidence that we have no gender pay or promotion disparities. Our senior management is increasingly diverse, with a growing number of women in key leadership positions across the company.

We share DFEH’s goal of a safe and inclusive workplace that rewards employees fairly and we are committed to setting an example that others can follow.

In a follow-up email, the The spokesperson also denied claims by the state of California that Activision Blizzard shredded vital evidence for the case.