French court convicts ex-Ubisoft bosses for workplace harassment

Thomas Francois received the heaviest sentence. Photo: Xavier GALIANA / AFP
Source: AFP

A French tribunal sentenced 3 erstwhile Ubisoft executives connected Wednesday to suspended situation presumption for enabling a civilization of intersexual and intelligence harassment astatine the gaming giant.

Thomas Francois, a erstwhile editorial vice president who was besides convicted connected a complaint of attempted intersexual assault, received the heaviest condemnation of a suspended three-year term.

Among the 3 defendants, helium faced the astir damning allegations, including forcing an worker to bash a headstand portion successful a skirt.

During the trial, the tribunal heard that Francois would greet employees utilizing inappropriate names, effort to interaction people's genitals arsenic portion of a alleged "game", and effort to buss antheral employees by surprise.

Francois testified during the proceedings that helium "lacked perspective" during the incidents from 2012 to 2020, erstwhile helium was aged 38 and 46, saying helium believed astatine the clip that helium was "treating people with respect".

For his part, erstwhile main originative serviceman Serge Hascoet was fixed an 18-month suspended condemnation for intelligence harassment and complicity successful intersexual harassment.

Hascoet told the tribunal helium was unaware of the harassment happening extracurricular of his solid office.

But helium besides instructed his pistillate assistants to execute idiosyncratic tasks for him not linked to their qualifications, specified arsenic picking up his girl from schoolhouse oregon crossing Paris to bargain him peanuts, justifying the behaviour arsenic thing typically "seen successful movies".

A 3rd executive, erstwhile games manager Guillaume Patrux, received a 12-month suspended condemnation for harassment connected a "smaller scale".

The tribunal ordered Francois to wage a 30,000 euro ($35,340) fine, portion Hascoet was fined 45,000 euros and Patrux 10,000 euros.

During the trial, the defence lawyers insisted that their clients had ne'er received immoderate disciplinary warnings from quality resources.

Ubisoft started investigations aft the media reported the claims, starring to wider disapproval of the gaming industry successful France.

Hascoet and Francois near the institution successful 2020, on with Patrux, pursuing interior investigations.

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Source: AFP