Laurence Van Wassenhove, a woman with disabilities, filed a lawsuit against her former employer, Orange, a telecommunications company. She alleges that despite receiving her full salary for 20 years, she was not assigned any work for the past two decades.
Van Wassenhove began working for France Telecom (later acquired by Orange) in 1993. Due to her epilepsy and partial paralysis, she was initially placed in roles suitable for her limitations, including human resources and secretarial positions.
In 2002, Van Wassenhove requested a transfer to a different department within the company. However, the new position wasn’t suitable, and no further adjustments were made. According to Van Wassenhove, the company continued to pay her full salary but did not provide her with any work duties.
She claims this situation amounted to harassment and discrimination based on her disability. Van Wassenhove argues that being paid without work resulted in isolation and a lack of professional fulfillment. She additionally asserts that complaints to relevant authorities in 2015 did not lead to significant changes.
Orange, on the other hand, maintains it acted appropriately. The company states it considered Van Wassenhove’s health condition and explored options for her to return to work in a suitable role. However, they claim her frequent sick leave made the process difficult.
The lawsuit highlights the challenges of workplace accommodation for employees with disabilities. It remains to be seen how the court will rule on this case.