Activision Blizzard ends, then quickly reinstates employee vaccination requirement

pcgamer.com:

Activision Blizzard has reversed its decision to no longer require proof  of vaccination from employees as part of its return-to-office plan. The company had announced its initial plan to employees on Thursday according to tweets from employees andreporting from Jason Schreier for Bloomberg.

Jessica Gonzalez, a founding organizer of the better ABK employee advocacy group, shared the initial email to employees announcing the end of the proof-of-vaccination requirement on Twitter. 

In the email, Activision Blizzard chief administration officer Brian Bulatao attributes the decision to improving COVID numbers and alleged similar moves from other, unnamed businesses. Bulatao concluded by asserting «the benefits of in-person collaboration.»

The response from Activision Blizzard employees was swift and largely negative. The situation surrounding Covid-19 remains fluid, with sub-variants and potential outbreaks already threatening the current drop in cases in the United States, leaving a move like this a potential safety hazard to employees as they're encouraged to return to office work. 

Due to the new RTO policy around no longer mandating vaccination requirements in regards to the ongoing pandemic, a group of ABK employees will be conducting a walkout on Monday April 4 at 10am PDT. We have 3 demands:April 1, 2022

A Better ABK was threatening a walkout on Monday, April 4, when Bulatao sent out another email, reversing the decision and leaving vaccination requirements up to individual offices.

It's yet another flareup between Activision Blizzard leadership and its own employees, with the ongoing sexual harassment scandal informing these developments. Additionally, the wider debate behind major companies' return-to-office