Tech exec who slept in sauna can pursue £76M from Gitpod, tribunal rules
Tech executive Shannon Burns can pursue £76 million in compensation from Gitpod after winning a disability discrimination case. Burns was dismissed after sleeping in a sauna during an Austria work trip after forgetting her room key. The tribunal rejected Gitpod’s bid to cap her claim at £1 million, while the company’s acquisition by OpenAI could affect her shares.
A senior technology executive, Shannon Burns, is allowed to pursue a £76 million compensation claim against software company Gitpod after being dismissed, according to a recent tribunal ruling. The Birmingham Employment Tribunal rejected Gitpod's attempt to limit the potential compensation to £1 million. The proposed payout could surpass the current record of £4.58 million.
Burns was hired by Gitpod in late 2022 with an annual salary of £220,000 and a £78,000 bonus. She attended a team-building event in Austria in April 2023, where she slept in a sauna due to her ADHD, which led to her dismissal in June 2023. The tribunal found that Gitpod discriminated against Burns due to her disability and failed to make reasonable adjustments.
Her claim for more than £76 million is based on projected future earnings and lost equity. If awarded, this would be an unprecedented sum in British employment tribunal history.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
