A British employment tribunal has found Cloud Imperium Games guilty of discriminating against an employee. The company fired a worker with autism after he requested permission to work from home.
Star Citizen
According to the portal Game Developer, which reviewed the case materials, the complaint against the studio was filed by senior programmer Paul Ah-Thion. He joined Cloud Imperium Games in 2018, immediately notifying the studio of his diagnosis. Initially, he worked at the office in Wilmslow, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his colleagues transitioned to remote work. During this time, Ah-Thion realized that working from home better met his needs. Therefore, when the studio required employees to return to the office, he requested permission to continue working remotely. Particularly since he was asked to come to the Manchester office, which is about 24 kilometers from the previous office. Cloud Imperium Games management denied his request and fired Ah-Thion in July 2022.
In court, Cloud Imperium Games argued that the programmer's performance was insufficient while working remotely. Additionally, they claimed he was unable to perform certain duties from home, such as supervising junior staff.
Now, Cloud Imperium Games must compensate Ah-Thion in the amount of £27,700 ($35,000).