A recent report from the French publication Le Telegramme has revealed that Ubisoft, which was rife with abuse and harassment allegations during the summer of 2020, hasn’t done much internally regarding the misconduct. According to the report on GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft had attempted to make changes and fix the toxicity in its work environment, but ultimately not a lot had been accomplished. With the #MeToo movement gaining momentum in different industries, it’s not surprising that Ubisoft was exposed for its mistreatment of sexual misconduct allegations throughout the years.
A representative from Ubisoft has recently commented on the French report, stating that there have been quite a few “concrete actions” taken by the company in hopes of fixing the work environment. While the statement does detail actions that will help improve the workplace overall, there are still issues that need to be addressed. In fact, the official Ubisoft accounts haven’t even released the statement — it’s posted in a TwitLonger post created by the founder of the Assassin’s Creed Sisterhood, Kulpreet Virdi. Ubisoft has an unfortunately long history of abuse and harassment allegations, so things need to change now to make sure they don’t happen in the future.
Ubisoft’s History with Harassment, Abuse, and Misconduct
July 2020 is when Ubisoft’s history of mishandling sexual misconduct allegations first came to light, though it was apparent that these issues had been happening behind the scenes for years. Many employees came forward to talk about their experience reporting misconduct to Ubisoft’s HR, and while some cases were handled, most of them were pushed under the rug, investigated incorrectly, or brushed aside. While a few different branches of Ubisoft came under fire, it seems the headquarters in France was the worst offender of all.
According to Bloomberg Businessweek, many employees reported a hostile working environment for the women employed by Ubisoft. It was essentially a “boy’s club” full of racism, sexism, misogyny, and even sexual assault. If any of these inappropriate comments or predatory actions were brought up to HR, they were largely dismissed because those being accused held more power than those affected by their actions.
Describing the workplace at Ubisoft as “toxic” isn’t a buzzword so much as an accurate descriptor — it was almost like a frat house, according to the article, with sleazy behavior perpetuated by Serge Hascoet and Tommy Francois. Luckily, both people are no longer with the company, though it took years and far too much misconduct to remove them from Ubisoft.
Unfortunately, there are entirely too many stories about the sexual abuse, harassment, and misconduct found within the walls of Ubisoft. The ball started rolling in July 2020 to combat these allegations, but it has been almost a year with many employees stating that not much has changed internally. Ubisoft disagrees, instead writing up a detailed list about all the ways the company has tried to fix the workplace since these allegations came to light.
What Ubisoft Has Done In Response to the Allegations
According to the TwitLonger posted by the Assassin's Creed Sisterhood founder, Ubisoft has implemented lots of big changes across the company. Ubisoft wants to create a better, safer, more inclusive, and respectful environment for all its employees, which is what led to these changes. Now, there is an anonymous reporting tool available to employees so they can report any misconduct with discretion besides reporting internally in other ways.
The post also states that all allegations brought forward have been investigated thoroughly by external parties. In some cases, the investigation led to “disciplinary action, including dismissal.” There has also been training implemented into the workplace to demonstrate “appropriate workplace conduct” for all Ubisoft offices. Reportedly, there are more trainings on the way beyond the one available now.
The code of conduct has changed as well, hopefully outlining more clear-cut guidelines to help employees remember what is and isn’t appropriate in the workplace. Lidwine Sauer has taken over as Head of Workplace Culture to oversee all the changes being made, while HR has seen some big changes too. Raashi Sikka is the new VP of Global Diversity and Inclusion, while Anika Grant has taken over as Chief People Officer.
These new appointees and new internal practices are supposedly only the first step in Ubisoft’s plan to restructure and create a more welcoming work environment. The statement ends by reiterating Ubisoft’s dedication to making these changes and how important it is to the company for its employees to feel “heard, respected, and valued in the workplace.”
What Ubisoft Needs to Do Next
While Ubisoft’s statement is hopefully a good sign for the future of the company, there’s no denying that it’s got a long way to go. As much as the company would like to leave behind the allegations that came to light in July 2020, it’s easier said than done. Real, tangible change takes time and cannot be done overnight — a sentiment that Ubisoft’s post even says. However, it’s crucial that Ubisoft actually does follow through with its plans for internal change, otherwise the change being sought will never come to fruition.
Additionally, it needs to act quicker in regard to misconduct allegations. The former Director of HR, Cecile Cornet, stepped down in July when allegations came up against him, but he only recently left Ubisoft entirely. Hugues Ricour, the former Ubisoft Singapore director, stepped down in November 2020 due to allegations against him, but he still works for Ubisoft in a different position. It’s taken entirely too long to have those who are guilty of misconduct face the consequences of their actions. Continually employing someone who has proven themselves to be dangerous in the workplace only hinders the mission to create a safer work environment.
In short, Ubisoft needs to do better. It needs to follow through with the plans it’s outlined, and even more transparency going forward would be ideal. Accountability is crucial when attempting to fix and restructure issues like this, and it seems Ubisoft is open to acknowledging how poorly things have been handled in the past. Now it needs to openly follow through by removing those who are dangerous to work with and implementing more internal changes to achieve the inclusive workplace it desires.
Sources: Bloomberg Businessweek; GamesIndustry.biz; TwitLonger