A French woman, Laurence Van Wassenhove, has taken legal action against telecommunications giant Orange, alleging a bizarre situation where she was paid her full salary for two decades without being assigned any work. The lawsuit claims that Orange effectively sidelined Van Wassenhove after she requested a transfer due to her disability. Diagnosed with partial paralysis and epilepsy, she joined Orange’s predecessor, France Telecom, in 1993, initially working as a secretary and in human resources roles that accommodated her condition. However, in 2002, she sought a transfer within France, which was approved but allegedly not adequately adapted to her needs. Consequently, Orange purportedly ceased assigning her tasks, despite continuing to pay her full salary. Van Wassenhove contends that this situation created a state of ‘moral harassment,’ leading to her isolation and a severe loss of professional purpose. Orange, on the other hand, vehemently denies any discrimination, asserting that they took her medical condition into account and actively sought options for her return to work in an adapted role. They argue that frequent sick leave posed a significant challenge in finding a suitable position for her. Van Wassenhove’s legal team, however, maintains that Orange failed to reasonably accommodate her disability, leaving her in a state of professional uncertainty and distress.
