Activision Blizzard to pay $54M settlement to resolve female employee discrimination lawsuit

Activision Blizzard settlement overview: 

• Who: Activision Blizzard is set to pay a $54 million settlement under allegations it did not treat women working at the company fairly, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) said. 
• Why: Women were paid less than men for doing substantially the same work, the settlement announcement said.
• Where: The CRD announced the Activision Blizzard settlement from its Sacramento, Calif., office.

Activision Blizzard is set to pay a $54 million lawsuit settlement to resolve allegations it paid women less than men for doing substantially the same work, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) said.

The settlement must still be approved by a judge. Women who worked at the company from Oct. 12, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2020, could be eligible for compensation as a result of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit settlement.

“California remains deeply committed to promoting and enforcing the civil rights of women in the workplace,” CRD Director Kevin Kish said in a statement. “If approved by the court, this settlement agreement represents a major step forward and will bring direct relief to Activision Blizzard workers. At the California Civil Rights Department, we will continue to do our part to fight for the rights of our state’s residents.”

CRD conducted two years of investigation before filing the 2021 Activision Blizzard lawsuit, saying the company had violated California’s Equal Pay Act and Fair Employment and Housing Act.

CRD said the settlement was due to alleged Activision Blizzard discrimination in compensation, promotions, and other aspects of the workplace on behalf of the state and women who worked as employees or contractors for Activision Blizzard, which produces popular games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Guitar Hero.

Nearly $45.8M will go to settlement fund with excess going to charity, CRD says

Nearly $45.8 million will go to the Activision Blizzard discrimination settlement fund, the CRD said. The settlement is in addition to a 2021 consent decree between the company and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Any excess settlement funds will go  to charitable organizations focused on advancing women in the video game and technology industries or promoting awareness around gender equality issues in the workplace, CRD said.

The CRD will withdraw its harassment complaints, stating the company had a sexist environment, as part of settlement, Law360 reports. The parties agreed that the settlement was not an admission of guilt, the website said.

Microsoft completed its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in October after nearly two years of regulatory questions.

Have you ever been unfairly compensated due to your gender? Let us know in the comments.

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