Can You Sue Your Employer for Being Bored at Work?

In a 2016 labor case out of France, the Plaintiff (Paris resident Frederic Desnard), sued his former employer of 8 years, Interparfums (a perfume and cosmetics company), claiming damages of 360,000 Euros for being forced out of his job by increasingly high levels of boredom.

Mr. Desnard claimed that, although he initially had a high-profile position in the company, he was later removed from that position and directed to perform work that was significantly more tedious. Mr. Desnard alleged that his former employer wanted to “bore him to death” in order to have him quit voluntarily and limit any liability on their part with respect to the payment of severance.

In Mr. Desnard’s lawsuit, he noted that his job was a “descent into hell” and his level of boredom at work was a “nightmare”. In fact, Mr. Desnard alleged that the boredom he experienced at work was so severe that it caused him health issues, including ulcers and depression. Mr. Desnard claimed that his former employer should be held responsible for his mental and other health damages, as well as the monetary ramifications of him not being considered for a promotion.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mr. Desnard ultimately lost the lawsuit. But on the bright side – at least it gave him something to do!