A video games designer is to sue Microsoft for £45,000 after allegedly suffering homophobic taunts.
Jamie Durrant, who designs Xbox 360 games, said he was called “Fag Boy Jim” and sent round-robin e-mails with headings including “I’m Jim and I’m Gay” while working for the computer giant. Notes about his sexuality were also put up in the staff kitchen, he alleged.
Durrant, who works in the Guildford-based Lionhead Studios, claims the failure of Microsoft’s HR department to deal with his complaints led to him signing off sick with depression for seven months. He is suing on the grounds of sexual orientation.
He said: “I have never hidden my sexuality from the office and I felt this could be targeted at myself. This was not the first time there was homophobic content in the office.”
Microsoft is contesting the claim.
Yesterday, Personnel Today revealed in collaboration with sister organisation XpertHR that the total number of employment tribunal statistics has already reached 131,365 from April 2008 to February 2009.
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