Activision Blizzard Employees to Hold Walkout Protest Tomorrow

Announced earlier this morning, Activision Blizzard employees will take part in a walkout tomorrow. The announcement was accompanied by a list of employee demands for Activision Blizzard. 

The walkout also follows yesterday’s news where over 800 employees signed an open letter condemning the company’s poor response to the lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) amid reports of sexual harassment and discrimination. 

Like the letter, the goal of the walkout is to get company leadership to work together with employees to improve work conditions.

Activision Blizzard Employees to Hold Walkout Protest Tomorrow

Activision Blizzard employees will hold a walkout protest tomorrow, July 28. The walkout is part of an effort by employees to get company leadership to work with them on improving workplace conditions.

The announcement came with a list of employee demands which include an end to mandatory arbitration clauses, better representation at all levels, public data on compensation for all employees, and the hiring of a third party to audit ABK’s reporting structure, HR, and executive staff.

You can read more about these demands as written by Activision Blizzard employees below. 

Activision Blizzard Walkout – Employee Demands

1. An end to mandatory arbitration clauses in all employee contracts, current and future. Arbitration clauses protect abusers and limit the ability of victims to seek restitution.

2. The adoption of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and promotion policies designed to improve representation among employees at all levels, agreed upon by employees in a company-wide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion organization. Current practices have led to women, in particular women of color and transgender women, nonbinary people, and other marginalized groups that are vulnerable to gender discrimination not being hired fairly for new roles when compared to men.

3. Publication of data on relative compensation (including equity grants and profit sharing), promotion rates, and salary ranges for employees of all genders and ethnicities at the company. Current practices have led to aforementioned groups not being paid or promoted fairly.

4. Empower a company-wide Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion task force to hire a third party to audit ABK’s reporting structure, HR department, and executive staff. It is imperative to identify how current systems have failed to prevent employee harassment, and to propose new solutions to address these issues.

For Activision Blizzard employees who want to take part in the walkout, it’ll run from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (PST) and will take place at the Blizzard campus main gate. In addition, a virtual walkout is also scheduled for July 28 to give employees who can’t attend an in-person walkout a way to participate, with the virtual walkout starting at 9:00 a.m. (PST) and running until 6:00 p.m. (PST). 

Additionally, as reported on by IGN, walkout organizers are also calling on supporters to use the #ActiBlizzWalkout hashtag and blue heart emoji on social media. If you want to donate, walkout organizers also shared a list of recommended charities, which we’ve listed below.

• Black Girls Code
• Futures without Violence
• Girls Who Code
• RAINN
• Women In Animation
• Women in Games International

 Related: 800+ Activision Blizzard Employees Condemn Company Response in Open Letter