It appears October will be the year that video game workers will finally revolt against their employers—or in this case, former employers. According to an IGN report, the former HR manager at Bungie is suing the studio for wrongful dismissal following her handling of a potential racial discrimination issue.
Ingrid Alm joined Bungie in May 2022 as HR manager. According to her, a few months later she was asked to investigate the performance of an employee who was called “James Smith” in the lawsuit. Alm revealed that Smith confided in her that he was the only Black employee in a team of 50 members and felt he was being racially discriminated against by his supervisor.
To resolve the issue, Alm relayed Smith’s feelings to his supervisor and recommended that Smith’s supervisor—and some other employees—undergo diversity training. However, Alm’s submission was rejected on the grounds that Smith “had been there for a long time” and was “highly regarded”.
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Instead of her recommendation, Alm said that the studio recommended the termination of Smith’s contract, an idea she opposed on the idea that it would be racial bias. Consequently, Alm approached Bungie’s director of equity, Dr. Courtney Benjamin for advice.
Benjamin advised that Smith should get a written warning instead of terminating his contract considering the sensitivity of the matter and how much evidence he wields. According to Alm, her supervisor was furious at her for communicating with Benjamin.
Eventually, she also got a written warning for speaking to Benjamin. The studio later contacted Benjamin to apologize regarding the discussion he had with Alm which they believed should not have happened.
Things went from bad to worse for Alm from there
Later in the month, Alm was placed in the “needs improvement” category during a review and her supervisor recommended she quietly leave the company. The new rating was regardless of her excellent employee reviews.
Shortly after the drama, she was frozen out of Bungie’s platform. She was unable to access her email too. Subsequently, the studio informed her that they had accepted her resignation, even though she did not submit any.
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According to the IGN report, Bungie denied Alm’s version of the story but failed to provide any extra context or an alternative narrative. Several media outlets reached out to Holly Barbacovi, Bungie’s chief of people, for comments but did not get any.
Apparently, the ex-Bungie HR manager was hired five months after an IGN report in December 2021 about how the studio tolerated—or even enabled—bad behavior including racism, sexism, abusive bosses, and systemic discrimination.
About Bungie
The company behind the successful Destiny franchise all started in a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago, IL, in 1991. The company’s global headquarters is in Bellevue, WA. Bungie said regardless of how far they have come, their goal remained the same which is to create “the best games in the world” and build a vibrant community around those games. Other titles under Bungie’s belt include Halo, Myth, and Marathon.
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“We value a culture of excellence,” read the studio’s core values. “We embrace discussion and constructive feedback, hold strong beliefs, and strive to continuously widen our perspectives. Bungie’s core values power how we see the world and how we bring to life the games we create.”
One thing I do know is that unless Bungie comes out to tell their own side of the story and back it up with facts, Alm’s side of the story will remain the public truth. A jury trial is set for January 22, 2024, and it will be interesting to see how the legal fireworks unfold.
Do you think suing your former employer is a smart decision? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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