From now on and until the sun shines brightly, the grass blooms, and the scent of fresh pastries fills the Activision Blizzard offices, company CEO Bobby Kotick will receive the minimum wage permitted by the state of California — $62,500 a year.
It is worth noting that Mr. Kotick came up with this initiative himself, also asking to cease paying him any bonuses and compensation.
Bonuses and the lavish lifestyle will return to Kotick only after the company completely eliminates toxicity and stops employees from harassing one another. To achieve this, the following will take place at Activision:
- A zero-tolerance harassment policy will be introduced across all company offices. Any violators will be fired without severance;
- The number of women and non-binary individuals will be increased by 50%. Over the next ten years, the company will spend $250 million on this;
- Restrictions on filing harassment and discrimination claims will be completely lifted. Previously, such allegations were settled exclusively in arbitration;
- The company will narrow the employee pay gap even further, regardless of gender. Studies have shown that women at Activision often earn more than men for the same work;
- Progress reports will be published regularly.
How hard Bobby Kotick's wallet will actually be hit remains anyone's guess, but he certainly will not be left broke anytime soon, since just this June, shareholders approved paying Mr. Kotick $155 million.