Wait, what? Woman gets paid for doing nothing for 20 years, she sues her employer for it– Here’s why

Sometimes actual life appears stranger than fiction, and this specific incident appears so! At a time when the necessity for work-life stability, and most staff feeling burnt out has turn into a matter of nice dialogue, information is {that a} lady has now sued her firm for paying her to do nothing. Yes, you learn that proper! What would possibly sound like a dream state of affairs for many— getting paid with out doing any work — has become a nightmare for 59-year-old lady named Laurence Van Wassenhove. She is taking Orange, one among Europe’s largest telecom corporations, to courtroom, claiming that the corporate left her in skilled limbo for greater than 20 years– by giving her full wage, however no duties, no duties, and nearly no human interplay.Speaking to French broadcaster FTV, Van Wassenhove described her state of affairs as “forced inactivity” that made her really feel invisible at work.From being a valued worker to being remoted at workVan Wassenhove joined Orange in 1993, when it was nonetheless France Télécom. After creating epilepsy and hemiplegia — partial paralysis on one facet of her physique — she moved from her authentic position to a secretarial place, drawing on her HR background.But in 2002, all the pieces stalled. Hoping to switch to a different area, she was declared unfit for the proposed position by an occupational well being evaluation. Instead of discovering her an alternate, the corporate positioned her on “standby.” This was the beginning of a 20-year interval {of professional} exile.“I was paid, yes — But treated like I didn’t exist”Despite receiving her wage, Van Wassenhove instructed Mediapart she confronted monetary difficulties, eviction threats, and extreme psychological well being struggles whereas elevating her autistic youngster. The lack of function and social connection drove her into deep melancholy, she stated.Her lawyer, David Nabet-Martin, argues that Orange’s inaction robbed her of “having a place in society” as a disabled particular person, inflicting lasting psychological hurt.How her employer respondedOrange instructed La Dépêche it had taken her “personal social situation” into consideration and supplied the “best possible conditions” throughout her absence from energetic work. The firm says it explored methods to reintegrate her, however frequent sick depart prevented progress.An extended struggle for recognition on the office(*20*)Van Wassenhove started formally elevating the problem in 2015 with the federal government and the High Authority for the Fight Against Discrimination. She claims little modified, and finally early retirement was instructed — one thing she noticed as one more push out of the workforce.Her case highlights the darker facet of extended inactivity, difficult the belief that doing nothing for pay is a luxurious. As she takes her struggle to courtroom, it might ignite new debates about incapacity rights, office inclusion, and the true which means of “having a job.”What are your views on this specific incident? Tell us about it within the feedback part under.