A former senior technology executive in the UK is seeking around Rs 964 crore in compensation after she was dismissed following an unusual incident during a company trip to Austria.
Shannon Burns, former Vice President of Engineering at software company Gitpod, was fired in 2023 after she lost her hotel room key during a team-building trip and eventually slept in a sauna.
How Did The Sauna Incident Happen?
The incident took place during a company retreat in Lofer, Austria, in April 2023.
According to reports, Burns had been drinking with colleagues and later realised that she could not access her hotel room after losing her key.
Instead of waking colleagues or hotel staff, she ended up sleeping in a sauna overnight.
After returning from the trip, Gitpod’s CEO raised concerns about what he described as a lack of professional accountability.
Burns was dismissed from her role in June 2023.
Burns Has ADHD
Burns has ADHD and subsequently brought a disability discrimination case against Gitpod.
In 2025, the Birmingham Employment Tribunal found that her dismissal was connected to her disabilities.
The finding allowed Burns to pursue compensation from the company.
She has also argued that she was treated differently from male colleagues who had consumed alcohol during the same work trip.
Why Is She Seeking Rs 964 Crore?
Burns is seeking £76 million, approximately Rs 964 crore, in damages.
The amount is based largely on calculations of her potential future earnings, along with losses related to salary, equity and other compensation.
She was earning around £220,000 a year when she was dismissed, in addition to other compensation.
Her legal team argues that the dismissal significantly disrupted her technology career and future earning potential.
Burns has since left the technology industry and is retraining to become a therapist.
Gitpod Wanted To Cap The Claim
Gitpod challenged the enormous compensation figure and asked the tribunal to restrict the potential claim to £1 million.
The company argued that the £76 million calculation was extraordinary and that the amount above £1 million had little reasonable prospect of success.
However, Employment Judge Rachel Wedderspoon rejected the application.
The judge noted Burns’ exceptionally high earnings history and said her claim included potential losses involving both salary and equity.
Her Gitpod Shares Could Be Worth Millions
Another major component of the case involves Burns’ ownership stake in Gitpod.
The tribunal heard that she held approximately 0.85% of the company.
Gitpod was subsequently acquired by OpenAI for around $400 million.
The tribunal considered calculations suggesting that Burns’ stake could have been worth millions of pounds, with its potential value increasing substantially under certain future scenarios.
Rs 964 Crore Has Not Been Awarded
Importantly, Burns has not been awarded Rs 964 crore.
The tribunal has only allowed her to formally pursue the compensation claim at a later remedy hearing.
The final amount will depend on evidence and the tribunal’s assessment of her losses.
The case could nevertheless become one of the largest employment tribunal compensation cases in Britain if the full amount were eventually awarded.
A Landmark Employment Case
The unusual circumstances of the dismissal have attracted significant attention, but the legal dispute ultimately centres on disability discrimination, career losses and compensation.
The case also highlights how employment tribunals can consider long-term earnings and equity when assessing potential damages in highly paid technology roles.
Summary
Former Gitpod engineering executive Shannon Burns is seeking around Rs 964 crore after winning a disability discrimination case linked to her 2023 dismissal. She was fired after sleeping in a sauna during a company trip to Austria. A tribunal has allowed her to pursue the £76 million claim, but no final compensation has been awarded. A separate hearing will determine the eventual amount.
