Microsoft execs accused of misconduct by dozens of staff

pcgamesn.com:

A group of ‘dozens’ of current and former workers at Microsoft – which is closing on a deal to buy embattled games publisher Activision Blizzard – have accused a group of top-level executives of workplace misconduct, a pattern they say has persisted for years at the tech company. The employees claim these executives verbally abused workers, downplayed the contributions of women, and rarely addressed concerns raised by staff.

Business Insider reports that the employees have alleged that former executive vice president Terry Myerson, HoloLens lead developer Alex Kipman, and Product and Engineering head Tom Keane have each contributed to a hostile work environment at Microsoft, and rarely faced any administrative action when complaints have been filed against them.

We reached out to Microsoft about the allegations, and a company spokesperson tells us they are unaware of any specific reports about the behaviour detailed in the report. “Microsoft is deeply invested in all aspects of our culture and employee experience, which includes ensuring employees have clear opportunities to voice any concerns they have about workplace behaviour,” the spokesperson says.

According to the staffers, Myerson “had a history of verbally abusing employees during his tenure” at Microsoft, and Keane was said to “cut people down to pieces” in front of other employees, as GamesIndustry reports. The staffers claim there had been “dozens of allegations” against Kipman, including an incident in which he was caught watching VR porn during a staff meeting.

The Microsoft spokesperson we spoke with says the company takes employee reports seriously, and has policies in place to assign disciplinary measures when appropriate.

“Microsoft’s leadership team has