Blizzard’s first female co-head wasn’t offered equal pay until she quit

Going through a lawsuit for gender discrimination introduced by the California Division of Truthful Employment and Housing, Activision Blizzard changed its president J. Allen Brack with two co-leaders, Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra. Blizzard’s announcement of Oneal and Ybarra’s new roles offered them as equals, however that apparently didn’t prolong to their paychecks.

A mere three months after accepting her new place, Jen Oneal departed Blizzard, and this previous week, additional reporting has painted an image as to why. In keeping with a Wall Avenue Journal report revealed on Tuesday, Oneal despatched an e-mail to the corporate’s authorized staff a month after accepting her new position as co-leader; in that message, she expressed an absence of religion in management, saying “it was clear that the corporate would by no means prioritize our individuals the correct approach.” The Wall Avenue Journal’s report additionally famous that Ybarra was paid greater than Oneal, regardless of each serving as co-leaders.

Additional reporting from IGN on Wednesday sheds extra gentle on the pay disparity between the 2 co-leaders. The article quotes from the Activision Blizzard Slack channel for workers, the place Ybarra apparently described the scenario to his colleagues as follows:

“Jen and I shared with administration that we wished to be paid the identical to co-lead Blizzard collectively. […] Jen and I had been each on current contracts. I ran [Battle.net & Online Products] and he or she ran [Vicarious Visions], so our pay was completely different. The primary time each Jen and I had been supplied a brand new contract, it was the identical throughout each of us for the brand new co-leader of Blizzard roles, so our compensation was going to be the identical.”

In different phrases, when Ybarra and Oneal bought promoted into their co-leader positions, they didn’t obtain a increase straight away; their pay remained the identical at first. Since Ybarra was already paid greater than Oneal, he continued to obtain extra money after accepting the promotion.

IGN’s report additionally quotes Slack logs wherein Oneal apparently asserted that she didn’t wish to have interaction “in a debate” together with her colleagues concerning the scenario. She additional clarified that she was finally supplied pay fairness with Ybarra — however this fee contract was solely prolonged to her after she had knowledgeable the corporate that she was quitting. In her phrases: “Whereas the corporate knowledgeable me earlier than I tendered my resignation that they had been engaged on a brand new proposal, we had been made equal affords solely after I tendered that resignation.”

Oneal will stay at Activision Blizzard till the tip of the 12 months, and in keeping with IGN, she knowledgeable her colleagues that she intends to function “in good religion” as a co-leader with Ybarra till the conclusion of her time on the firm.