“The situations that some of you have experienced or witnessed are absolutely not acceptable,” wrote Guillemot. “No one should ever feel harassed or disrespected at work, and the types of inappropriate behavior we have recently learned about cannot and will not be tolerated.” “To those of you who have spoken up or have supported colleagues, I want to be clear: you are heard, and you are helping drive necessary change within the company.”
Guillemot proceeded to outline specific measures Ubisoft is implementing in order to mitigate future harassment at the company. “Specifically, I have decided to revise the composition of the Editorial Department, transform our human resource processes, and improve the accountability of all managers on these subjects,” Guillemot wrote. He also stated that the company has appointed an official Head of Workplace Culture, as well as implementing weekly employee listening sessions and furthering its ongoing investigations into allegations. “Again, I want to express my appreciation to those of you who have had the courage to speak up,” Guillemot concluded. “Know that my door is always open to you if you wish to express your concerns directly to me.” “We have a lot to accomplish, and I am determined to make this change happen. Ubisoft is also gearing up to launch an anonymous online tool for staff to report abuse, harassment and sexism in the company. In an email sent to VG247, it was also confirmed that Maxime Beland, Vice President Editorial, has officially resigned from his role at Ubisoft. Despite this, the company is still investigating the allegations made against him. Tommy François, Vice President Editorial & Creative Services, has also “been placed on disciplinary leave pending the outcome of an investigation.” Another employee from the company’s Toronto studio has been “terminated for engaging in behaviors that do not align with what is expected of Ubisoft employees.” Other investigations are still open, and will be “conducted rigorously.” The email concludes with a statement reading, “Ubisoft will not tolerate workplace misconduct and will continue taking disciplinary actions against anyone who engages in harassment, discrimination and other behaviors that infringe on our Code of Fair Conduct.”
