Activision Blizzard Inc chief executive officer Bobby Kotick on Tuesday defended his handling of harassment complaints as a group of workers at the video game company called for his departure.
A walkout and a call for Kotick to leave the company came in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report that said he has for years been looped into reports of abuses that included an allegation of rape, but did not share all that he knew with the board of directors.
About 150 workers took part in a walkout at the California company, joined by colleagues who halted working remotely in solidarity, posts shared at an Activision Blizzard workers alliance account on Twitter showed.
Photo: AFP
“It’s past time for Bobby to step down,” the @ABetterABK account wrote on Twitter.
The Activision Blizzard board voiced support for Kotick’s leadership in a message responding to recent stories in the media.
“The board remains confident that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention,” it said in a post on the company’s Web site.
An Activision spokesperson said that the Wall Street Journal story presented a “misleading” view of the company and its CEO.
“Instances of sexual misconduct that were brought to his attention were acted upon,” the spokesperson told reporters. “At Mr Kotick’s direction, we have made significant improvements, including a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate conduct.”
The California-based maker of Call of Duty has been hit by employee protests, departures, and a state lawsuit alleging it enabled toxic workplace conditions and sexual harassment against women.
Kotick wrote in a release that the article on Tuesday “paints an inaccurate” image of him.
“Anyone who doubts my conviction to be the most welcoming, inclusive workplace doesn’t really appreciate how important this is to me,” Kotick said in the release.
Activision early this month said it was delaying sequels to its hit Diablo and Overwatch franchises as it deals with upheaval due to workplace conditions.
“In recent months, we have taken actions that resulted in the departure of a number of individuals across the company,” Activision chief operating officer Daniel Alegre said on an earnings call. “As we have worked with new leadership at Blizzard, and within the franchises themselves, particularly in certain key creative roles, it has become apparent that some of the Blizzard content planned for year will benefit from more development time to reach its full potential.”
The company recently announced measures intended to strengthen protections against harassment.
Kotick has apologized and asked the board to slash his pay to the California legal minimum of US$62,500 until the panel “has determined that we have achieved the transformational gender-related goals.”
NOT JUSTIFIED: The bank’s governor said there would only be a rate cut if inflation falls below 1.5% and economic conditions deteriorate, which have not been detected The central bank yesterday kept its key interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive quarter, aligning with market expectations, while slightly lowering its inflation outlook amid signs of cooling price pressures. The move came after the US Federal Reserve held rates steady overnight, despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to cut borrowing costs. Central bank board members unanimously voted to maintain the discount rate at 2 percent, the secured loan rate at 2.375 percent and the overnight lending rate at 4.25 percent. “We consider the policy decision appropriate, although it suggests tightening leaning after factoring in slackening inflation and stable GDP growth,”
DIVIDED VIEWS: Although the Fed agreed on holding rates steady, some officials see no rate cuts for this year, while 10 policymakers foresee two or more cuts There are a lot of unknowns about the outlook for the economy and interest rates, but US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled at least one thing seems certain: Higher prices are coming. Fed policymakers voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, as they await clarity on whether tariffs would leave a one-time or more lasting mark on inflation. Powell said it is still unclear how much of the bill would fall on the shoulders of consumers, but he expects to learn more about tariffs
Greek tourism student Katerina quit within a month of starting work at a five-star hotel in Halkidiki, one of the country’s top destinations, because she said conditions were so dire. Beyond the bad pay, the 22-year-old said that her working and living conditions were “miserable and unacceptable.” Millions holiday in Greece every year, but its vital tourism industry is finding it harder and harder to recruit Greeks to look after them. “I was asked to work in any department of the hotel where there was a need, from service to cleaning,” said Katerina, a tourism and marketing student, who would
i Gasoline and diesel prices at fuel stations are this week to rise NT$0.1 per liter, as tensions in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices higher last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday. International crude oil prices last week rose for the third consecutive week due to an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as the market is concerned that the situation in the Middle East might affect crude oil supply, CPC and Formosa said in separate statements. Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — rose 3.75 percent to settle at US$77.01
RSS