Aggrieved worker claims boredom was an employment practice

A French employee is suing his former company for boring him to tears.

The plaintiff, 44-year-old Frédéric Desnard, wants $415,000 from his former employer, Paris-based perfume enterprise Interparfum, as compensation for the boredom it allegedly caused.

Mr. Desnard claims that he was removed from his previous high-profile position after the company lost a major account and asked to carry out much more boring tasks. He believes his company wanted him to quit voluntarily to limit severance payments he would have been entitled to, but he decided to stay on due to a sluggish economy.

Despite earning a handsome salary for doing nothing, he described the four-year period as “hell” and “a nightmare” and said it caused multiple health issues, including ulcers and depression. He was ultimately fired after sustaining injuries from a car crash that forced him to go on seven-month sick leave, with his employer saying these absences interrupted work processes.

Mr. Desnard believes the company should be held responsible for mental and other health damages and for his missing out on a promotion. A verdict in the case is expected July 27.

However, a lawyer for Interparfum said there was no proof the company tried to bore him into quitting and accused Mr. Desnard of shifting gears to the boredom allegations after previously claiming to be suffering from burnout.

If not for fragrance allergies, plenty of folks might have offered to switch jobs with Mr. Desnard.