21-05-2025
Female exec 'sacked from £220k job for getting drunk at work trip to Austria' lost her room key and showed 'concerning' behaviour after 'drinking heavily', 'tech bro' CEO tells tribunal
A high-flying female executive who claims she was sacked for getting drunk on a work trip in Austria was 'drinking heavily' and 'clearly more intoxicated than others', her boss has told an employment tribunal.
Shannon Burns - who was on £220,000 a year - is suing for sex discrimination after complaining of the rampant 'tech bro' culture at the 'male-dominated' firm that hired her.
But the CEO of Gitpod, Johannes Landgraf, claims she displayed 'concerning' behaviour - including losing her room key and having to stay in a sauna room. He said she also lost her iPad and AirPods - and looked 'disheveled' the morning after.
Mr Landgraf told an employment tribunal he had a shot of a 'Swiss pine liquor' with 'trailblazing' Ms Burns - then saw her pour herself a 'large glass of wine', before proceeding to get more drunk than anyone.
The tech boss disputed allegations made by Ms Burns that she was fired at his company for her behaviour on at the work trip despite her inebriated male colleagues not facing punishment.
He said Ms Burns, a vice president of engineering at Gitpod, was fired because she was not a 'leader'.
Birmingham Employment Tribunal heard she had been headhunted and took on her job with the promise of a six figure salary and an equity package potentially worth over £30million.
But soon after joining in January 2023, Ms Burns said she became aware of a problematic culture.
She said she had heard Mr Landgraf had a reputation of being a 'Tech Bro who liked to surround himself with fellow tech bros', the tribunal was told.
She added it was a 'male dominated' company.
At the centre of the tribunal hearing was an 'off-site' work trip in Lofer, Austria, in April 2023.
Ms Burns said Mr Landgraf offered her a shot and he had 'several drinks' by this point and was 'slurring his words and struggling to stand'.
Ms Burns said she was invited to partake in a 'game' which involved asking 'difficult' questions to one another about work.
The executive said the line of questioning from Mr Landgraf implied that she was not doing her job adequately.
She alleged that following trip she was sacked for getting too drunk in Austria despite other males getting more drunk than her.
Now, Mr Landgraf has told the tribunal he 'does not accept her versions of events'.
In a joint statement with Gitpod's Head of People Eva Hyder presented to the tribunal, he said: 'At the last night of the Lofer offsite, 5 April 2023, Shannon approached Johannes at the bar where they each had a shot of Swiss pine liquor, an Alpine speciality.
'Johannes recalls that their conversation started with friendly small talk, but it soon became obvious to Johannes that Shannon had already been drinking heavily.
'Johannes's recollection of the conversation differs from that Shannon gives... Shannon initiated a question and answer process and then changed tone abruptly asking Johannes how people could earn his trust.
'She then stated to Johannes in an emotional outburst that she felt he didn't trust her, asked why and asked how she could earn his trust.
'There then followed a broad conversation regarding expectations.
'The conversation finished, Shannon moved away, and Johannes then saw Shannon pour herself a large glass of wine but otherwise had no contact with her for the rest of the evening.
'Shannon has stated... she was intoxicated but no more so than other colleagues.
'Johannes agrees that he and many team members had consumed alcohol, but notes Shannon was clearly more intoxicated than others.
'The next morning, shuttle buses had been booked to take team members to the station and airport.
'Mike [Brevoort, chief product officer] recalls that Shannon's team members were waiting with the airport shuttle having loaded their bags.
'Mike was stepping out of the hotel when Shannon's room mate came to say Shannon would be late as Shannon was still packing and had lost her iPad and AirPods and had locked herself out of the room (the second such similar event).
'Shannon eventually emerged from the hotel dishevelled and visibly stressed some 20 minutes later.
'Shannon subsequently confirmed to Mike that she had misplaced her iPad and AirPods, had locked herself out of her room and had needed to sleep in the sauna room.'
Mr Landgraf and the other respondents denied that there was a 'tech bro' environment.
The statement said there had been performance concerns with Ms Burns since she joined.
It said: 'Shannon had fallen far short of the performance expected from a Vice President.
'She had never transitioned from being the manager she had been in previous roles elsewhere into being a leader, taking ownership of matters.
'Shannon didn't deliver on time and needed help from others to deliver late.
'She required many hours of support and coaching each week...'
Ms Burns was told that 'sleeping in a sauna area and being late for the shuttle was concerning' but her behaviour in Austria was not the reason for her dismissal, according to the Gitpod response statement.
It added: 'Shannon was not dismissed or treated less favourably in any other way because she is a woman.
'She was not dismissed because she was drunk at Lofer... No team member has ever been dismissed for being drunk.
'Shannon was dismissed for the performance-related reasons described above.'
Ms Burns - who has ADHD and dyslexia - also seeks claims of disability discrimination.
The hearing continues.
