California Expands Lawsuit Against Activision Blizzard (axios.com) 15
California has expanded its anti-discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, adding temporary workers to the female full-time employees of whom it is suing on behalf. The state's Department of Fair Employment & Housing also alleges the game maker has interfered with its investigation. Axios reports: The amended complaint was filed Monday and redefines the "group" it says was wronged by the gaming giant. A copy reviewed by Axios specifically mentions that California's protections against anti-harassment, equal pay and other equal employment opportunity protections "exist for employees and contingent or temporary workers." Throughout the lawsuit, the word "employees" has been changed to "workers" in reference to harassment, sex discrimination regarding pay and other allegations.
The DFEH also says Activision Blizzard has stymied its efforts through NDAs, requiring employees to speak with the company ahead of contacting the DFEH, and its involvement with WilmerHale, a law firm the game maker said will investigate misconduct issues. The suit claims that this "directly interferes" with DFEH's ability to "investigate, prosecute, and remedy workplace discrimination and harassment violations on behalf of employees and contingent or temporary workers." It alleges, in part, that "documents related to investigations and complaints were shredded by human resource personnel" in violation of what it asserts is the game company's legal obligation to retain them pending the investigation. A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard said that the company has "complied with every proper request in support of its review even as we had been implementing reforms to ensure our workplaces are welcoming and safe for every employee."
"With regards to claims that we have destroyed information by shredding documents, those claims are not true. We took appropriate steps to preserve information relevant to the DFEH investigation," the spokesperson added. "We have provided the DFEH with clear evidence that we do not have gender pay or promotion disparities. Our senior leadership is increasingly diverse, with a growing number of women in key leadership roles across the company."
California sued the video game studio last month over allegations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and potential violations of the state's equal pay law.
The DFEH also says Activision Blizzard has stymied its efforts through NDAs, requiring employees to speak with the company ahead of contacting the DFEH, and its involvement with WilmerHale, a law firm the game maker said will investigate misconduct issues. The suit claims that this "directly interferes" with DFEH's ability to "investigate, prosecute, and remedy workplace discrimination and harassment violations on behalf of employees and contingent or temporary workers." It alleges, in part, that "documents related to investigations and complaints were shredded by human resource personnel" in violation of what it asserts is the game company's legal obligation to retain them pending the investigation. A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard said that the company has "complied with every proper request in support of its review even as we had been implementing reforms to ensure our workplaces are welcoming and safe for every employee."
"With regards to claims that we have destroyed information by shredding documents, those claims are not true. We took appropriate steps to preserve information relevant to the DFEH investigation," the spokesperson added. "We have provided the DFEH with clear evidence that we do not have gender pay or promotion disparities. Our senior leadership is increasingly diverse, with a growing number of women in key leadership roles across the company."
California sued the video game studio last month over allegations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and potential violations of the state's equal pay law.
May or may not be true (Score:1)
Either way, it's probably a good idea to ditch the (newly) toxic brand -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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Everytime I hear about investigations for pay disparities, the women are over paid and the investigation stops because its in womens favor.
Ah, so you had to sit through a lot of MyPillow commercials then.
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[Citation needed]
Of whom it is suing on behalf (Score:2)
The editing around here is something up with which I will not put.
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The editing around here is something up with which I will not put.
They must unlearn what they have learned.
What's the excuse? (Score:3)
That some temp confused a shredder with a fax machine?
I have seen HR personnel lie through their teeth multiple times, including encouraging a coworker to file a false police report. Hell, I've been threatened by HR personnel before with illegal actions. Given the toxic cesspool that place seems to be, the people who work in HR would have to be (borderline) sociopaths to make it for any kind of extended period. No doubt they've been well aware of everything being reported, and then some, for about as long as it's been going on and they've been dutifully working to cover it all up.
Why would any business stay in California? (Score:1)
Serous question.
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Maybe they aren't raging misogynists so don't worry about this kind of thing.
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Because the reality of life in California is not even remotely like what conservative talk media tries to make it out to be. It's not a Star Trek style utopia, but neither is it the regulatory oppressive nanny state that conservative talk media tries to make it out to be. There are also two very practical reasons for staying in CA: The Oakland and LA ports, as well as the geographic proximity to Asia PAC relative to basically anywhere else in the US aside from Oregon and Washington state.
IMO, conservatives
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You've listed two practical reasons against a laundry list of highly impractical reasons to stay in California. To name a few:
1. The cost of housing is exorbitantly high. Homes are marketed with such an inflated price that anyone not making well into the six figures isn't going to ever be able to afford one. Rent is also out of control. The house I used to rent is now renting for nearly $1000 more a month than I was paying.
2. The cost of utilities is too high. California's cost per kilowatt hour of energy i
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The companies are also incorporated in other states anyways so it's really only the employees that eat a lot of the higher taxes. Of course it's also easier for them to move jobs because a company can't force them to sign a non-compete clause so they naturally can get better wages too. The weath
ActiBlizz is but a husk of its former self. (Score:2)
A literal zombie of the game companies it was 20 years ago, barely alive, suckered of any life and soul by immoral cynical dimwitts many of which would be best wrapped in barbed wire and shot into the sun for the benefit of all humanity.