Jessica Gonzalez, a former Activision Blizzard employee and founder of A Better ABK, initially revealed that the company was changing its vaccine policy on Twitter on Thursday night. In a series of screenshots, the text of an email sent by Brian Bulatao, the company’s chief executive, was shared. “With immediate effect, we remove the vaccination order for all U.S. employees,” Bulatao said in a statement released by Gonzalez. Bulatao also discussed return policies at the company’s office, although he acknowledged that they differed. Bloomberg gambling journalist Jason Schreier said in an email shortly afterwards. LEAK: Brian Bulatao emailed all over ABK to speak back at the office in June. They will not require proof of vaccination. I am convinced that the “advantages” of personal cooperation are in fact so that the organization of employees can be monitored and closely monitored. Do not die for this company pic.twitter.com/MSOwWVYBR3 – Jessica Gonzalez is a chair (@_TechJess) March 31, 2022 “As part of their reinstatement, Blizzard and Activision Blizzard conducted several feedback sessions and polls over three months, at the end of which they decided to impose the vaccine on their employees,” a spokeswoman said. ABK Workers Alliance. in the Polygon. “It was an agreement under which the people agreed to return. “This recent change was not made by any employee before it was announced.” On Friday, Bulatao sent another email to clarify the company’s policies – seemingly reassuring employees that not everyone will have to go back to work if they feel uncomfortable. “For most of our employees, we are still operating on a voluntary return to office basis,” he said in an email to The Verge. “While we do not require company-level vaccinations to enter our US buildings, it is up to the leaders of Activision Publishing, Blizzard and King to determine the procedures and policies that work best for their employees and their locations. based on local conditions and risk “. Schreier also said that Blizzard CEO Mike Ybarra sent an email on Friday saying that Blizzard, in particular, would require vaccination at least for the next few months. At the same time, Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra emailed staff saying they would continue to require vaccination for at least the next few months and that about 80% of their employees in Irvine, Austin and Albany had uploaded vaccination certificates. – Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) April 1, 2022 A Better ABK made three claims from the company on Friday, which I will list below and which you can see in the embedded tweet that follows: Immediate reversal in the removal of the vaccine requirement Distance work should be offered as a permanent solution The decision to work remotely or in the office must be made by each employee individually

  1. Immediate reversal in the removal of the vaccine requirement2. Remote work should be offered as a permanent solution3. The decision to work remotely or in the office must be made by each employee individually – ABetterABK ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) April 1, 2022 Following the clarifications of Activision Blizzard, the team retweeted an Blizzard employee but so far has not published its own response. Breaking: Brian Bulatao has admitted to letting each studio choose their own vaccine order requirements. So far I have heard that Blizzard, QAMN, QALA and QATX have restored a vaccine order. I hope to hear that all my colleagues at ABK will be equally protected. – Valentine Powell ️‍⚧️ ️‍⚧️ (@valentine_irl) April 1, 2022 It is unclear how many employees are expected to leave, and according to Polygon, “one team member did not have an estimated number of participants.” Gonzalez did not reply to a DM on Twitter and the Twitter account A Better ABK did not respond to a tweet requesting clarification. Activision Blizzard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Activision Blizzard employees have resigned in the past in response to scandals that have plagued the company recently. In July, staff members left after the state of California sued the company for sexual harassment and more than 350 people were present, according to the Washington Post. More than 150 people went on strike following an explosive report in the Wall Street Journal claiming that CEO Bobby Cotick was aware of allegations of sexual misconduct at the company, according to Polygon. Another layoff followed the dismissal of 12 QA employees working in a studio working on the hugely successful Call of Duty series, with at least 200 leaving, according to the Washington Post. Following is the full statement by Activision Blizzard on The Verge, through spokeswoman Kelvin Liu: The health and safety of our employees is at the forefront of everything we do, including our return policy. While the Activision Blizzard vaccination order in the US has been lifted, for most of our employees, we are still operating under a voluntary return to office. In addition, employees who do not feel comfortable returning to the office are encouraged to work with their supervisor and our human resources team to explore options for work arrangements that suit their individual situations. We will continue to monitor the situation and make policy adjustments as required. We recognize that some employees may participate in a strike to express their views. The company supports the right of our employees to express their views in a safe and non-threatening manner and will not retaliate for any decision to participate in this strike. The company also hopes that those who leave will behave in a legal, safe and non-violent manner.
    And here is the text of Brian Bulatao’s latest email: By: Brian Bulatao Subject: Update on vaccine policy Date: April 1, 2022 All, Yesterday, I announced an update that we are withdrawing the corporate vaccination mandate for all U.S. employees. As a result of the questions that have arisen since then, I want to clarify what this means when it comes to making decisions throughout our organization about what is best for a particular business unit or location. First, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have always made the health and safety of workers our highest priority. Our decisions are based on the application of standards that meet or exceed local guidelines in the communities where we live and work. And, for most of our employees, we still operate under a voluntary return to office opportunity. We will continue to monitor the situation and make policy adjustments as required. While we do not require company-level vaccinations to enter our US buildings, it is up to the leaders of Activision Publishing, Blizzard and King to determine the procedures and policies that work best for their employees and their locations. for local conditions and risk. Thank you for your response. We will continue to clarify our plans as we approach our full return date. Brian