Activision Blizzard’s controversial boss Bobby Kotick has asked for his salary to be cut until significant changes are made to the company’s culture, admist its ongoing State of California lawsuit which alleges sexual discrimination, harassment, and a “frat boy” culture.
Specifically, Kotick has said he will only accept California’s legal minimum salary of $62,500, and will not take any other bonuses or compensation. However, it’s worth remembering the CEO already earned $155m from the company via a bonus awarded earlier this year.
In a lengthy letter to staff, Kotick today outlined “progress and commitments made at Activision Blizzard”, with five new changes announced today. Most notable is the agreement drop forced arbitration of future sexual harassment cases – something requested by many employees.
The first change detailed today is a “new zero-tolerance harassment policy company-wide” which will mean “tougher rules and consistent monitoring across the entire company” and “the strictest harassment and non-retaliation policies of any employer”.
“Any Activision Blizzard employee found through our new investigative processes and resources to have retaliated against anyone for making a compliance complaint will be terminated immediately,” Kotick wrote.
“In many other instances of workplace misconduct, we will no longer rely on written warnings: termination will be the outcome, including in most cases of harassment based on any legally protected category.”
Second, Kotick pledged to increase the percentage of women and non-binary people in the company by 50 percent over the next five years and invest $250m million “to accelerate opportunities for diverse talent”. (Kotick said the company was currently 23 percent women or non-binary.) “Each franchise team, business unit, and functional area will be expected to have plans to help fulfill this ambition,” he continued.