A woman in France, Laurence Van Wassenhove, who is disabled, has taken legal action against her employer, telecom giant Orange. She claims she was not given any work assignments for 20 years yet continued to receive her full salary, alleging harassment and discrimination due to her health condition.
Wassenhove was employed by France Telecom in 1993, prior to its acquisition by Orange. France Telecom was aware of her physical limitations—she suffered from partial paralysis on one side of her body and epilepsy. Consequently, they provided her with a role that accommodated her condition.
However, Orange allegedly declined to make any accommodations for her. Instead, she continued to receive her full salary without any work assignments. Wassenhove asserts that this strategy was employed to gradually push her out of the job without terminating her directly.
Hard to bear
While being paid without having to work might sound appealing to many, Wassenhove reportedly finds the situation “very hard to bear,” as stated in reports.
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In 2015, Wassenhove filed complaints with the government and the High Authority for the Fight against Discrimination. In response, Orange appointed a mediator to address the situation. However, according to Wassenhove, her circumstances did not improve despite these efforts.
“Being paid, at home, not working is not a privilege. It’s very hard to bear,” she expressed.
Her lawyer, David Nabet-Martin, added that she experienced depression due to the isolation she faced.
Orange, on its part, contends that it made every effort to accommodate Wassenhove under optimal conditions. The telecom company stated it took into consideration her “personal social situation” and had a policy in place for her “return to work in adapted position,” although this never materialized as she was frequently on sick leave.
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