Update 8/17/2021: The article previously mentioned potential legal consequences for workplace bullying and discrimination that were not accurate.
Ubisoft Singapore is under investigation after a report published last month unearthed allegations of sexual harassment and bullying in the studio.
A report published by Kotaku last month alleged Ubisoft's Singapore studio of a number of different things. The site spoke with more than 20 current and former employees of the studio who claimed those working there are subjected to racial pay disparity and bullying by managers, among other things. Allegedly, the Singapore studio is known by all at Ubisoft, regardless of where they might be in the world, as the worst to work at due to its toxic culture.
Ubisoft Singapore is now being investigated by the country’s national fair employment watchdog, reports The Straits Times. Singapore’s Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices will be looking into the allegations of unfair pay and sexual harassment, with various punishments at its disposal should any or all of the allegations made turn out to be true.
Despite the driving force behind opening a studio in Singapore being to hire local people and allow them the chance to rise through the ranks, Ubisoft is accused of keeping those higher positions for managers from other studios. Kotaku's report even includes claims that the studio is effectively advertised as some sort of holiday destination - an exotic part of the world a Ubisoft higher up can go to work for a year or two rather than awarding that position to someone in-house.
If TAFEP finds Ubisoft to be in breach of the country's employment laws, then the studio could be banned from creating or renewing work passes for its foreign staff for up to two years.
The investigation comes amid a lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard for its own alleged misgivings, as well as a number of accusations made within other Ubisoft studios. While those allegations have received more coverage, the problems in Singapore have been pushed to the side somewhat. Hopefully, an investigation into what exactly is going on there will help highlight those issues and eventually result in a better work environment for the studio's employees.