Frederic Desnard, who worked as a manager at a Paris perfumery until 2015, sued his former employer because his job was so boring that it made him depressed and forced him to quit.
He just won the trial and $45,000 in compensation. Desnard's original lawsuit was filed in 2016 and he wanted 400,000! Last week, after four years of litigation, the 48-year-old won his case.
Paris's appeals court ruled that Desnard suffered from "bore out", which is technically the opposite of burnout, where an employee is overworked.
The former manager's lawyer claimed that the complete lack of stimulation at work had left the man feeling "destroyed" and "ashamed", even triggering an epileptic fit when he was driving.
Desnard said that he was purposely asked to do nothing but menial tasks over the course of four years, an experience he described as "a descent into hell."
These tasks allegedly involved setting up the CEO's new tablet and letting a plumber into his boss's home.
What was originally considered a joke among law experts has now become the first such verdict of its kind in France, and will likely be cited as a precedent in future cases. Suing employers for lack of work or boredom may actually become a thing in the near future.
Source: Guardian Image © 2020 GettyImages