Activision Blizzard, the video game maker facing growing legal problems stemming from allegations of a toxic workplace culture, has settled with United States workplace discrimination regulators, Trend reports citing Al Jazeera.
The company, one of the world’s most high-profile gaming companies, reached a deal with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to settle claims, according to court documents filed Monday. The agency had filed suit earlier in the day in federal court in California, the culmination of a nearly three-year investigation.
The agency said that Activision failed to take effective action after employees complained about sexual harassment, that it discriminated against employees who were pregnant and that it retaliated against employees who spoke out, including firing them.
Activision said it would create an $18m fund to compensate people who were harassed or discriminated against. Money left over would go to charities for women in the video game industry or other gender-equity measures. The company said it would also “upgrade” its policies and training on harassment and discrimination and hire an independent consultant to oversee its compliance with the EEOC’s conditions. The agreement is subject to court approval and will be in effect for three years.