A Human Resource manager is responsible for a company’s harmony, which can be more demanding than bookkeeping. Strategizing and adhering to the company’s core values, catering to employee discrepancies, making policies, organizing growth programs, and maintaining a tandem between the executives and employees are the key characteristics of an HR manager.
This massive responsibility is one of the pillars that keeps a company afloat and sustains its reputation. In a recent case study, the Best Buy management program controversy resulted in a nationwide backlash for specifically excluding white people from the qualifying criteria.
Such issues can not only cost the company a setback in brand value, but it also has to churn out astronomical amounts in lawsuits. Hence, an HR manager must keep track of all the hierarchies, operations, and social diversity.
In the current social climate, companies are integrating as much diversity in the workforce to bring in various perspectives. At the same time, the company must also ensure that this inclusivity of different races, religions, sexual orientations, and genders thrives in an adequate work environment. Many companies have adopted diversity programs to spread awareness about other cultures and ideologies.
Although the above example suits better for what not to do in such programs, inclusivity and diversity training are based on practicing sensitivity and inculcating mutual respect.
However, several companies are still far behind in understanding the actual depth of hiring a diverse workforce.
Bungie, a video game developer company, is sued by former HR manager Ingrid Alm for ‘retaliation and wrongful termination.” After recommending diversity training for a supervisor who was allegedly racist towards a black employee, the managers of Destiny 2 Developers rejected her proposal with “hostility and denial.”
What Happened With Bungie’s HR Manager Ingrid Alm?
Ingrid Alm joined the game development firm Bungie in May 2022. She was hired as the HR manager on the grounds of her expertise with over ten years of experience.
A few months into her new position, Alm was tasked to review a particular employee, referred to as “James Smith” (real name not disclosed as per lawsuit).
But while investigating his performance, Alm discovered that the only black employee among a 50-person team was racially targeted by the supervisor.
Alm didn’t just complain about this to the higher management but also suggested a solution that the supervisor should attend a diversity training program. She was instantly dismissed by the Destiny 2 Developers’ managers, stating that the supervisor had “been there for a long time” and was “highly regarded.”
Sometime in late September, Bungie executives asked her to terminate Smith. Alm believed that the termination would be accounted as a racial bias. She then consulted Bungie’s director of equity and inclusion, Dr. Courtney Benjamin, who said the termination was “too risky considering the evidence” and a written warning would be more appropriate (this implies that the reason for James Smith’s termination alludes to unethical conduct).
Meanwhile, Alm’s supervisor displayed extreme anger at her. The final blow came when Bungie management stated that her resignation had been accepted even though she never submitted it.
Why Is Former HR Manager Ingrid Alm Suing Bungie?
Ingrid Alm has filed a lawsuit against Bungie for “retaliation and wrongful” termination. She has sued the company on the grounds of racial bias.
IGN reported Bungie’s response, who “denies almost every part of Alm’s narrative without further context.”
The case will be presented before the jury on January 22, 2024. The primary intention of the lawsuit is to determine whether Alm is entitled to lost wages, emotional distress damages, and attorney fees she is seeking in the case.
IGN has previously published an exposé just five months prior to Alm’s hiring. The report stated that over 25 employees have come forward with their experiences with their experiences with the company that fostered a toxic culture, including racial and gender bias.
What is your take on this case? Do you believe there is racial bias at play? Or was the employee really incompetent?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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