French woman with partial paralysis receives salary without working for 20 years, sues employer

Van Wassenhove's lawyer described her as

• Woman claims she was 'discarded employee', was never given work assignments

A disabled French woman is suing telecom giant Orange, alleging workplace discrimination after she was paid for over 20 years without being assigned any job responsibilities.

Laurence Van Wassenhove was hired by France Telecom in 1993, a company later taken over by Orange.

Born with partial paralysis of the face and limbs, and suffering from epilepsy, Van Wassenhove was initially offered a suitable position as a secretary, and the company initially adapted to her medical conditions.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

However, her troubles began after she requested a transfer to another region where the managers did not adapt Van Wassenhove's work duties to fit her disabilities.

Her conditions remained unchanged despite her repeated requests to work remotely and her complaints to government and anti-discrimination authorities.

During this period, Van Wassenhove described herself as a "discarded employee", isolated from actual work activities, with no assignments, office, or colleagues.

Van Wassenhove said her income also gradually decreased, and her retirement pension was cut, resulting in an estimated economic loss of about Euro650,000 (US$700,000).

After consulting with her lawyer, she decided to take legal action against Orange.

Her lawyer, describing Van Wassenhove as "a victim of discrimination since 2004", claimed that the telecom giant was attempting to coerce her into quitting her job.

Her lawyer stated: "For the disabled, a job means securing a place in society. We sued because of [Van Wassenhove's] deterioration of health due to the company's negligence, moral harassment, and discrimination."

In response, Orange told the French newspaper La DepEche that it had maintained her full salary and had done everything possible to ensure that Van Wassenhove worked in the best possible conditions.

"A return to work in adapted positions was apparently also planned, but it never materialised because the employee was regularly on sick leave," the company stated.

In France, the Labour Code stipulates protections against discrimination towards disabled persons.

The regulations include enforcing quotas for disabled employees in companies with at least 20 employees as well as broader mandates to incentivise employers to integrate disabled individuals into the workforce.

The story caught attention in mainland China, with many users expressing jealousy of Van Wassenhove's situation.

One person commented: "While it's about dignity for her, I envy her situation. I, too, wish I could stay at home and get paid. Such good fortune seems like only a dream!"

Some people also defended the company's approach.

"Assuming the company isn't lying, having an employee who is frequently on sick leave is problematic. Others have to cover her work, and if her output is subpar, it just creates more problems. Besides their regular duties, her supervisors are also pressured to find suitable tasks for her. Should the entire company adapt to her needs?" asked one person.

Another person asked: "Did the company restrict her from pursuing part-time work? She could get paid and find something else to do. Even volunteering would be fine!"

More Articles from SCMP

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.