California company Activision Blizzard has a long history of creating hit games. The titles put out by the company include Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero, World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Call of Duty.
The company, however, is also having a serious issue with sexual harassment and discrimination claims. Activision Blizzard has already settled one lawsuit for $18 million. And now the company faces another suit.
Fran Townsend has been trying to clean up the company from within. According to the chief compliance officer, more than 20 employees have been ‘exited’ from the company over the suit.
Townsend told the Financial Times, “It doesn’t matter what your rank is, what your job is. If you’ve committed some sort of misconduct or you’re a leader who has tolerated a culture that is not consistent with our values, we’re going to take action.”
An email from Townsend to employees was also shared. It read in part:
“As one of the world’s largest and most influential companies, our future depends on fostering a company culture where all feel safe and heard. That comes with the responsibility of earning our employees’ confidence that, when they speak up, we’ll do the right thing. We must earn our team’s confidence that, when they speak up, they will be heard. I have been quietly listening over the last few months to your comments, concerns, and observations. I am grateful to everyone who shared their points of view – especially those who challenged us to do better. It’s important to me that you know how seriously I take this, and how committed I am to the next steps we will take together.”
It’s unknown at this time if more “exits” will be forthcoming.
