Video game development studio, Blizzard Entertainment, is facing accusations of employee discrimination in the workplace. A former program coordinator has come to blame racism and favoritism for his departure from the company after five years in April 2018. The employee, who began his career at Blizzard as a game adviser, says that he began facing discrimination from his peers. In a personal post, he explained that during his time supporting Hearthstone, it was not uncommon for his immediate colleagues to make racist and sexist assumptions about him due to his ethnicity.
Sexism and Racial Discrimination
He wrote that a female employee would joke about his sexism, or natural inclination to be sexist, due to his heritage. The assumption then became that he was just like everyone else, and that his attitudes and beliefs were that of a male chauvinist. He says that the racial discrimination and bullying occurred from April to December 2016, despite multiple attempts on his behalf to resolve the issue with his supervisors and through Human Resources. He was told to ignore the matter and that it would be taken care of.
However, he said that the matter went essentially unresolved and that he felt retaliated against through his performance reviews, which stated that he was not a team player and difficult to work with. Prior to these performance reviews, he says that he had always been regarded as a highly-reviewed employee. He also shared that he was left out of the loop on important matters and was left out of the praise given during a meeting. He also shared in detail the long hours put into his work.
Health Issues Begin to Take Effect
The employee began experiencing increasingly debilitating health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies. He was given a leave of absence in November 2017 after he experienced a nervous breakdown while at work. He then reached out to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in December 2017. He gave his resignation in February 2018 and left the company last April. Despite Blizzard’s recent claim that it believes in inclusion and that every voice matters, it was never applicable for that employee or other people of color with whom he discussed the matter. He does not believe people of color have truly been represented.
Philadelphia Racial Discrimination Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Help Those Discriminated Against
If you or a loved one has been discriminated against in the workplace, you should not have to tolerate it in any way. You deserve to work in a place free from discrimination. At The Gold Law Firm P.C., our Philadelphia racial discrimination lawyers will fight for you and your rights. For a free consultation, contact us online or call us at 215-569-1999 today. Located in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey, we serve clients from the surrounding areas, including Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and throughout South Jersey.
