A worker at Rockstar Games has told an employment tribunal that employees were placed on a ‘watch list’ after signing a petition about remote working in 2023.
What Happened
Dayne Oram, a former employee, testified before a tribunal in Glasgow.
He said the company began monitoring a group of staff after the petition was sent to leadership in 2023.
Oram claims there was a connection between the names on the petition and those who were later dismissed.
Rockstar Games disputes this, stating that employees were fired for gross misconduct — including sharing confidential company information — not for union activity.
Key Facts
- 31 employees in Scotland were dismissed, with 23 involved in the tribunal.
- 34 employees were fired in total, including three in Canada not participating in the case.
- 141 of 154 people who signed the remote working petition were not fired.
- Discord discussions were central to the claims, with posts containing offensive language about management.
- Oram helped moderate a Discord forum used by about 300 employees.
Rockstar’s legal representative, Thomas Cordrey, read out forum rules requiring professional conduct and cited several posts where employees made disparaging remarks.
Oram said he would likely revise some moderation decisions if given the chance, but emphasized moderators avoided over-enforcing rules.
Background: How the Case Works
The case is part of a broader legal framework for employment tribunals in the UK.
These tribunals assess whether employers acted unlawfully in dismissing workers, especially when union activity is involved.
Under UK labour law, employees cannot be fired for participating in lawful trade union activities.
Rockstar denies any link between the petition and dismissals, maintaining that all firings were due to breaches of confidentiality.
Why It Matters
The case could set a precedent on how companies respond to employee-led discussions about working conditions.
If the tribunal finds that dismissals were tied to union activity, it may reinforce protections for workers advocating for better working conditions.
Rockstar is producing Grand Theft Auto VI, which is set for release in November.
The company’s Edinburgh office leads development of the game.
Limitations and Open Questions
The case hinges on whether the petition and the dismissals are connected.
With 141 petition signatories not being fired, the link remains tenuous.
There is no evidence presented in the source that the petition directly caused the firings.
Rockstar maintains that all dismissals were for sharing confidential information, not union activity.
What to Watch Next
The tribunal is expected to last about six weeks.
Current employees are seeking official union recognition ahead of the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Rockstar has not yet responded to claims of bias or suppression of employee voices.
The case may influence how large tech firms handle internal employee discussions about work-life balance and remote work.
For more on this development, see the original report from The Guardian.
Sources & further reading
AI-generated illustration.
