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Man Sues Old Job For Boring Work: Now 44-Year-Old Frédéric Desnard Wants $416,377 From Interparfums

By Paula Mooney
Published on: 01:23 PST, May 3, 2016

It sounds like an article title that one would read on the Onion, but according to the Guardian, the story about a Frenchman suing his former boss due to a tedious job is not satire — it is true. Forty-four-year-old Frédéric Desnard is making news for what is thought to be the first lawsuit in France where a person has sued their former employer due to not giving him enough work or so little to do that it resulted in depression.

Desnard called his old job a “descent into hell” that gave him “bore out” at the perfume company where Frédéric was formerly employed. Instead of the perfume company working Frédéric so hard that he suffered burnout, Desnard claims that the company didn’t give him enough interesting work to do.

Therefore, Frédéric claims in his lawsuit that he experienced serious bouts of depression due to his boring job. Ironically, Desnard claims that he was embarrassed that he received money for not doing enough work. But money is exactly what Desnard now wants as a result of his lawsuit. The €360,000 (or £282,000) that Frédéric is seeking for compensation and damages works out to approximately $416,377 in U.S. dollars.

“I was ashamed of being paid for doing nothing. The worse part of it was denying this suffering.”

The amount of money that Desnard wants includes holiday pay that he claims is due him. Frédéric had a managerial role at the perfume company, but he was made “redundant” 18 months ago. According to the U.K. government, redundancy can happen when companies need to cut back their workloads. The definition sounds similar to being fired or laid off in the U.S.

“Redundancy is a form of dismissal from your job. It happens when employers need to reduce their workforce.

“If you’re being made redundant, you might be eligible for certain rights, including:

– redundancy pay

– a notice period

– a consultation with your employer

– the option to move into a different job

– time off to find a new job

“You must be selected for redundancy in a fair way, e.g. because of your level of experience or capability to do the job.

“You can’t be selected because of age, gender, or if you’re disabled or pregnant. If you are, this could be classed as an unfair dismissal.”

Desnard’s unusual lawsuit is getting a big reaction on social media.

Frédéric reportedly worked at Interparfums, a company that Desnard said nearly bored him to death and caused exhaustion from tedious or little to no work.

Desnard worked at Interparfums from 2010 to 2014 and said that he was “placed in the cupboard” — a French phrase similar to being “put on the shelf.” Desnard claims that the work he was given at the perfume company didn’t have anything to do with Desnard’s real job, and as such, he was deprived of doing his original duties.

With a lack of interesting things to do at work, Desnard said that he suffered from stress and even an epileptic seizure while driving. Meanwhile, the company is fighting back against Desnard’s lawsuit after he suffered the redundancy in September 2014.

The perfume company’s lawyer, Jean-Philippe Benissan, said that Desnard didn’t tell his company he was bored. In fact, he told his employer he was suffering from burnout from his job. Desnard was ordered to pay his former perfume company €1,000, which is approximately $1,155.45 in U.S. dollars, for defamation. Desnard believed his former job ruined his health, said the court, who thought he suffered personal animosity against the perfume company.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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