Bullying and sexual harassment: Three former Ubisoft managers sentenced

They are said to have shaped a culture of psychological terror and sexual harassment: A court in Bobigny, France, has found three former managers of the games company Ubisoft guilty. The former Ubisoft executives were sentenced to suspended sentences and fines, reports Le Monde.

According to Le Monde, former editorial director Thomas “Tommy” François was given a three-year suspended prison sentence for sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault. He must also pay a fine of 30,000 euros. Among other things, he allegedly forced an employee to perform a handstand in her skirt.

Ubisoft's former creative director Serge Hascoët was sentenced to 18 months probation – for, among other things, allegedly tolerating François' behavior. He was also convicted of bullying. Hascoët's lawyer is considering taking legal action against the sentence. Games director Guillaume Patrux was sentenced to 12 months probation for bullying.

Toxic work culture

The misconduct of Ubisoft's management team came to light in a Bloomberg report in 2020. According to the report, several top managers harassed female employees and created a toxic work culture. Complaints to the HR department were largely ignored. The managers were placed on leave after the report was published, before they eventually left the company.

Thomas François is alleged to have tried to grab colleagues' genitals and kiss male employees. He is said to have tied a female employee to a chair with tape and placed her in an elevator, reports the Guardian. According to Le Monde, François said during the trial that he believed he had treated his colleagues with respect. Hascoët is said to have sent his assistants on personal errands – to pick up his daughter from school or do the shopping for him.

The defendants' defense had emphasized that the former managers had never been warned by Ubisoft's HR department.

(dahe)