Activision Blizzard’s newest anti-harassment effort is a ‘responsibility committee’ | Engadget

Activision Blizzard is going through rising scrutiny from the federal government and the video games business over its dealing with of the continued sexual harassment scandal, and its newest effort won’t assist. As Kotaku reports, the developer has formed a “Workplace Responsibility Committee” to assist it implement new anti-harassment and anti-discrimination efforts. While that sounds helpful at first, there is a concern the preliminary committee is extra symbolic than useful.

The committee will launch with simply two members, each of whom (chair Dawn Ostroff and Reveta Bowers) are current impartial board members. They, in flip, will report back to the board and key Activision Blizzard executives — together with CEO Bobby Kotick, who some argue is partly guilty for the scandal. The duo will work with an out of doors coordinator and a guide following the corporate’s settlement with the EEOC, however there is not any point out of involving common firm employees or outsiders who weren’t a part of that court docket settlement.

As such, it will not be shocking if the committee does little to fulfill critics. Employees and others have known as on Kotick to resign, amongst different extra substantial adjustments. There’s additionally low confidence in management’s potential to police itself — Jennifer Oneal, Blizzard’s first feminine chief, allegedly left her place feeling she was the goal of discrimination by a seemingly irredeemable firm tradition. Bloomberg noted that some board members (together with Ostroff) are Kotick’s longtime mates and connections, for that matter. The committee would possibly must take aggressive steps if it needs to show it is greater than a superficial gesture.