A former senior technology executive fired after falling asleep in a sauna during a team-building trip is pursuing a remarkable Rs 964 crore compensation claim. If successful, the figure would mark the largest payout ever awarded by a British employment tribunal.
Shannon Burns, who has ADHD, served as the vice-president of engineering at software firm Gitpod. In April 2023, she attended a company event in Lofer, Austria. Following a night of drinking during which she was unable to access her hotel room because she forgot her key, Burns ended up sleeping in a sauna. Gitpod’s CEO subsequently raised concerns regarding professional accountability, leading to her dismissal in June 2023.
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Following her termination, Burns initiated legal action. In 2025, the Birmingham Employment Tribunal ruled in her favor, concluding that her dismissal was a direct result of disability discrimination. She is now seeking approximately Rs 964 crore, primarily driven by calculations of projected future earnings and equity losses.
Gitpod strongly pushed back against the staggering demand, urging the tribunal to cap the claim at Rs 12.68 crore and dismissing Burns’ higher valuation calculations as “palpable nonsense.” However, Employment Judge Rachel Wedderspoon rejected the company’s application to restrict the claim.
The judge noted that Burns possessed a high pay history alongside a 0.85% equity stake in Gitpod. The multi-crore valuation factors in potential future equity growth, with projections suggesting the shares could multiply significantly if Gitpod were acquired by tech giants like OpenAI. While the tribunal acknowledged that the requested sum is extraordinarily unusual, it ruled that expert evidence is required before dismissing the valuation’s prospects.
Burns, who has since exited the tech sector to retrain as a therapist, is also claiming additional damages for injury to feelings and uplift penalties. The tribunal battle highlights complex legal intersections between disability rights, corporate accountability, and high-value startup equity compensation.
