A new lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is alleging that Activision Blizzard Inc. has been fostering a “frat boy” culture in which female employees are subjected to constant sexual harassment, unequal pay, and retaliation. This is according to a two-year investigation by the state agency that found that there was discrimination against female employees in terms and conditions of employment, such as compensation, assignment, promotion, and termination. The investigation also noted that the company leadership consistently failed to take steps to prevent discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Female employees make up around 20% of the Activision workforce, and have been subjected to a “pervasive frat boy workplace culture,” that included “cube crawls,” that saw male employees “drink copious amounts of alcohol as they crawl their way through various cubicles in the office and often engage in inappropriate behavior toward female employees.” Furthermore, it is alleged that male employees play video games during the workday while delegating responsibilities to female employees while also engaging in sexual banter, and openly joking about rape.
In addition, female employees claimed they were held back from promotions out of fear that they would become pregnant, were kicked out of lactation rooms so male colleagues could use the room for meetings and more. The suit also notes that a female Activision employee took her own life while on a company trip with her male supervisor after being subjected to intense sexual harassment prior to her death, which included having nude photos passed around at a company holiday party. Female employees who worked on the World of Warcraft team noted that male employees and supervisors would hit on them, make derogatory comments about rape, and engage in highly demeaning behaviour.
We will keep you updated on the lawsuit.