A woman in France has sued her employer for not assigning her any work while still paying her full salary for 20 years. Laurence Van Wassenhove, who is disabled, has decided to sue telecom giant Orange, alleging harassment and discrimination based on her health condition, reported VN Express.
Wassenhove was hired by France Telecom in 1993, before Orange took over the company. France Telecom knew of her physical constraints - she was paralyzed on one side of her body and suffered from epilepsy. Therefore, she was offered a role suitable for her.
Wassenhove worked as a secretary and in human resources until 2002, when she requested a transfer to another region of France. She did not find her new workplace suitable.
However, Orange reportedly refused to make any adjustments. Instead, she was paid her full salary, but no work was assigned to her. Wassenhove says this was done to push her out of the job without having to fire her outright.
“Hard to bear”
While getting paid to do no work may seem like the dream scenario to many, the French woman claims “it is very hard to bear,” according to The Sun.
{{/usCountry}}While getting paid to do no work may seem like the dream scenario to many, the French woman claims “it is very hard to bear,” according to The Sun.
{{/usCountry}}In 2015, she complained to the government and High Authority for the Fight against Discrimination. After this, Orange appointed a mediator to resolve the situation. However, Wassenhove claims her situation did not improve even after this.
“Being paid, at home, not working is not a privilege. It's very hard to bear,” she said.
Her lawyer, David Nabet-Martin, also claims that she developed depression due to the isolation.
Orange, on the other hand, claims that it had done everything possible to ensure she worked under the best conditions. The telecom giant said it took her “personal social situation” into account and planned "a return to work in adapted position" policy for Wassenhove, which never happened as she was regularly out on sick leave.