Due to a fraud investigation, massive layoffs, and more, Activision Blizzard has been in the news a lot as of late. That said, this trend does not appear to be coming to an end any time soon, as a recent report from the Washington Post has put the spotlight once again on the company, specifically focusing on its interest in the fertility and pregnancies of its employees.

According to the Post's report, Activision Blizzard has been incentivizing its employees to use a third-party app to track their pregnancies. This app comes from Ovia Health, and it allows its user to keep record of their efforts to conceive as well as manage details of their pregnancies.

Moreover, Ovia is able to grant employers access to this tracking in the form of aggregate data, which includes much of what is entered into the app but without a name attached to it. Indeed, it is reported that Activision Blizzard is making use of this service, and the former Destiny publisher is said to be providing an incentive for employees to participate: a $1 gift card for every day that the employee uses the app.

To note, Activision Blizzard maintains that it is a fully voluntary arrangement between the company and its employees. To that end, the company's vice president of global benefits, Milt Ezzard, comments on this point specifically in the Post's report, stating:

Each time we introduced something, there was a bit of an outcry: ‘You’re prying into our lives.' But we slowly increased the sensitivity of stuff, and eventually people understood it’s all voluntary, there’s no gun to your head, and we’re going to reward you if you choose to do it.

Certainly, providing employees with tools that will allow them to better manage their health and wellness is an admirable endeavor, especially amidst Activision Blizzard's recent layoffs. However, the fact that the company wants to collect this data, which is, again, done anonymously, may give some people pause.

That said, in a correspondence with Kotaku, Ovia has indicated that the reason an employer would want to gain access to such aggregate data is to be assured that the app is leading to "healthier outcomes." As such, the Call of Duty publisher's motives are perhaps most closely aligned with a desire to see its employees have healthier pregnancies that result in a less distracted workforce.

Ezzard once again makes this point in the Post's report, stating that, a healthy baby means a great "business experience." This sentiment may indeed feel blunt to some, but it could at least offer some clarity on the intentions of Activision Blizzard.

Source: Kotaku, The Washington Post