A senior technology executive who was dismissed after an incident during a company trip has won the right to pursue a potentially enormous compensation claim in a disability discrimination case.
Shannon Burns, who has ADHD, was working as vice-president of engineering at Gitpod when she attended a team-building event in Lofer, Austria, in April 2023. Following an incident during the trip, she was dismissed from the company two months later.
The Birmingham Employment Tribunal had previously found that Burns was dismissed because of her disabilities. The latest ruling concerns the size and viability of her compensation claim, rather than awarding her the full amount she is seeking.
Burns is reportedly pursuing compensation calculated at around Rs 9,637 crore, based largely on projected future earnings and the value of lost salary and equity.
How the Sauna Incident Led to Burns’ Dismissal
The incident occurred during a Gitpod team-building trip to Austria in April 2023.
According to the case details reported by The Independent, Burns had consumed alcohol during the evening and subsequently could not access her room after forgetting her key. She eventually slept in a sauna.
Following the trip, Gitpod CEO Johannes Landgraf raised concerns about what he described as a “lack of professional accountability.”
Burns was dismissed from her position as vice-president of engineering in June 2023.
The employment dispute subsequently developed into a disability discrimination case, with Burns arguing that her ADHD and other disabilities were relevant to the treatment she received and the decision to dismiss her.
Tribunal Previously Found Disability Discrimination
In 2025, the Birmingham Employment Tribunal ruled in Burns’ favour on the disability discrimination issue.
The tribunal found that her dismissal was a consequence of her disabilities. The latest proceedings, however, were focused on whether Burns should be allowed to pursue the exceptionally large amount of compensation she has calculated.
Gitpod had sought to restrict the potential claim to approximately Rs 12.68 crore and requested a deposit order of around Rs 1.27 lakh.
The company argued that any claim substantially above that level had little reasonable prospect of success. It reportedly described Burns’ much larger calculation as “extraordinary” and characterised parts of the valuation as “palpable nonsense.”
Employment Judge Rachel Wedderspoon rejected the company’s application.
Why Burns Is Seeking Thousands of Crores
The unusually large compensation calculation is linked to Burns’ previous earnings, future income projections and equity interest in Gitpod.
The tribunal heard that Burns held approximately 0.85 per cent of Gitpod’s shares.
Judge Wedderspoon noted that Burns had an exceptionally high remuneration history and that her claim included potential losses relating to both salary and equity.
The tribunal’s assessment also considered hypothetical future values for her Gitpod shares. According to the case, the shares could be worth approximately Rs 32.61 crore at present and potentially around Rs 267.13 crore in four years under a scenario involving a Gitpod acquisition by OpenAI for approximately Rs 3,836.76 crore.
These figures form part of the compensation assessment and hypothetical valuation exercise; they do not represent money that Burns has been awarded.
Judge Says the Claim Cannot Be Dismissed Without Expert Evidence
While Judge Wedderspoon acknowledged that the amount being claimed was highly unusual, she did not accept that the valuation could be rejected at this stage.
The judge concluded that it would not be possible to determine that Burns’ calculations had little reasonable prospect of success without expert evidence.
That decision means Burns can continue pursuing the compensation claim. It does not mean the tribunal has ruled that she will ultimately receive the full amount claimed.
The eventual compensation figure, if any, will depend on further assessment of the losses and the evidence presented during the compensation process.
Claim Also Includes Injury to Feelings
Burns’ claim extends beyond projected salary and equity losses.
She is also seeking compensation for injury to feelings, along with an ACAS uplift, which can apply in employment cases where an employer has failed to follow relevant aspects of the applicable Acas Code of Practice.
The overall claim therefore combines several categories of alleged financial and non-financial loss.
Burns Has Since Left the Technology Industry
Following the employment dispute, Burns has moved away from the technology sector and is retraining to become a therapist.
Her lawyer, Tara Grossman, described the latest outcome as a success for Burns.
Grossman said the large compensation calculation represents an assessment of what Burns could potentially have earned had she not been dismissed because of her disabilities.
A Potentially Significant Employment Tribunal Case
The case has attracted attention because of the extraordinary scale of the compensation being pursued and the role of equity in calculating potential future losses.
However, it is important to distinguish between a compensation claim and a tribunal award. Burns has won the right to continue pursuing the larger calculation, but the reported Rs 9,637 crore figure has not been awarded to her.
The case also illustrates the complexities that can arise when employment discrimination claims involve senior executives whose compensation includes substantial equity interests and whose future financial losses can be difficult to calculate.
As the compensation proceedings continue, expert evidence and further assessment will determine whether Burns’ projected losses can be established and, ultimately, what amount she may receive.
