Well, it's been a little while since I posted my "Thoughts for Thursday".
I wish I could get to it more often, but honestly, I am pretty busy
(working at Computer Greeks at 12222 S Harlem Ave in Palos Heights Open from 10am to 6pm Moday to Saturday)
and sometimes I just don't have any Thoughts worth sharing.
But today, if you are interested, I will share with you my thoughts that I posted on my Twitter Account this morning-
I encourage anyone with Twitter to follow me there- I'm the same hilarious genius you've known for years on Facebook, but even better.
Here's the Backstory-
So this morning a report came out that the State of California has filed a lawsuit against the gaming company, Activision/Blizzard, for discriminatory behavior. Why does this matter? Well, both of my kids work for this company having been able to get their dream jobs as Game Designers and yes, I am completely jealous.
So after the charges came out alleging a "frat boy" culture where females were routinely subjected to sexual harassment and much worse, the company issues a response that I had some serious issues with.
That response and (my comments) follow.
Warning- It's a bit long, but then most of my posts are and let's be honest, I'm worth it!
(First off, I'm an idiot so keep that in mind.
Secondly, I've been a small business owner in the Tech Industry for over 25 years and do actually have some grasp of the Gaming World over the last 4 decades as well as what being a business owner means.
Here's what I think...)
We value diversity and strive to foster a workplace that offers inclusivity for everyone. There is no place in our company or industry, or any industry, for sexual misconduct or harassment of any kind. We take every allegation seriously and investigate all claims. In cases related to misconduct, action was taken to address the issue.
(It starts with a statement of "Core Values" and I'm suggesting in the future, should just be added to the Letterhead directly under the Logo.
It will save a lot of time having to type it in manually going forward.
It is also an awful way to begin this response.)
(I fixed it:
We are devastated to read the DFEH Report and want to guarantee that we will do everything to address each victim's account and deal with anyone who has failed to protect them.
We had believed these things were in the past, if not, then we must do better. )
The DFEH includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past. We have been extremely cooperative with the DFEH throughout their investigation, including providing them with extensive data and ample documentation, but they refused to inform us what issues they perceived. They were required by law to adequately investigate and to have good faith discussions with us to better understand and to resolve any claims or concerns before going to litigation, but they failed to do so. Instead, they rushed to file an inaccurate complaint, as we will demonstrate in court. We are sickened by the reprehensible conduct of the DFEH to drag into the complaint the tragic suicide of an employee whose passing has no bearing whatsoever on this case and with no regard for her grieving family. While we find this behavior to be disgraceful and unprofessional, it is unfortunately an example of how they have conducted themselves throughout the course of their investigation. It is this type of irresponsible behavior from unaccountable State bureaucrats that are driving many of the State’s best businesses out of California.
(Ok, its a denial- I get it. The report is "distorted and false" and in the past.
We talking 5 years ago or last week?
We cooperated, but they didn't tell us what they saw so that we could explain away their concerns before they published a report.
The assholes!)
(At last! The words "sickened" and "reprehensible" show up, but unfortunately, not in describing the offenders- so close.
We will show in court (bad look).
Tragic suicide with no regard for grieving family.
Sickening indeed- On who's part?
Threaten to leave Cali? Really?)
The picture the DFEH paints is not the Blizzard workplace of today. Over the past several years and continuing since the initial investigation started, we’ve made significant changes to address company culture and reflect more diversity within our leadership teams. We’ve amplified internal programs and channels for employees to report violations, including the “ASK List” with a confidential integrity hotline, and introduced an Employee Relations team dedicated to investigating employee concerns. We have strengthened our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and combined our Employee Networks at a global level, to provide additional support. Employees must also undergo regular anti-harassment training and have done so for many years.
(Mostly ok with this part- telling us what you've done to fix the issues is good.
Still arguing that it's all in the past so it shouldn't be a part of a report going back 2 years is not.
Also, no acknowledgment of the victims or that you employed people who did these things!)
We put tremendous effort in creating fair and rewarding compensation packages and policies that reflect our culture and business, and we strive to pay all employees fairly for equal or substantially similar work. We take a variety of proactive steps to ensure that pay is driven by non-discriminatory factors. For example, we reward and compensate employees based on their performance, and we conduct extensive anti-discrimination trainings including for those who are part of the compensation process.
(This is fluff.
Who you employ, how long they work there, what they do, and how much they are paid and promoted compared to others are verifiable facts, not opinions.
What your intentions and policies are does not change those facts. Either there is equality or there isn't.)
We are confident in our ability to demonstrate our practices as an equal opportunity employer that fosters a supportive, diverse, and inclusive workplace for our people, and we are committed to continuing this effort in the years to come. It is a shame that the DFEH did not want to engage with us on what they thought they were seeing in their investigation.
(In closing,
We can prove we didn't do these things and they should have told us what they thought so we could fix it?
I get that it's a lawsuit, but you don't need to go full defense attorney in you're initial response.
This isn't your courtroom defense, it's a PR statement.)
(Show some compassion for God's sake!
You don't have to admit guilt to honestly care about those who were hurt, want to make sure that what you think about your company is actually the truth, and promise to review all of these charges in a Transparent Manner.)
(Finally, who is this from?
Mr. Blizzard?
All of Activision/Blizzard as a whole?
Where is the Person who will promise to be accountable for getting this looked at/fixed?
Someone gets paid a shit ton of money to be that guy.
Do your job and step up.
It's the right thing to do.)
There you have it.
If you were so bored you made it to the end, Thanks!
I'll try to make my next post way more fun and brief.
Stay Safe and Stay Well,
Uncle Steve
Comments