Since they were young, people have dreamed of earning millions of dollars doing virtually nothing. A French woman had this desire come true, but she said it was a psychological torment. The 59-year-old Laurence Van Wassenhove is suing Orange, one of the biggest telecom providers in Europe, alleging that she experienced a period of forced idleness that lasted for two decades.
Despite having a full pay, she was left without any roles or responsibilities, and worse, there was no human connection. She has described this situation, which has negatively impacted her mental health and made her feel invisible.
She admitted to the French publication Mediapart that I was paid, but I was handled as though I didn’t exist. According to reports, his story with the organization started in 1993 when she joined with high expectations for a successful career. She also received training as an HR assistant, which inspired her even more to succeed and advance in the company. However, she was removed from her position after receiving a diagnosis of epilepsy and hemiplegia, which is defined as a paralysis affecting one side of the body.
To accommodate her health, the corporation provides her with a secretarial role, but she said the assistance stopped there. When she asked for a transfer to a different part of the country in 2002, an occupational health evaluation revealed she was unfit for the move, further putting her on the sidelines. Laurence claims that after that specific period, she was put on standby.
I still have hope.
A French lady is suing telecom behemoth Orange, alleging she was left on full pay for 20 years without receiving any assignments, leaving her feeling degraded and abandoned in her career.
She claimed that she waspic.twitter.com/5KPk8eoIeR.
August 13, 2025 Elonoshi Muskamoto (@occupymars69420)
Her feeling of dignity and purpose diminished, but the paycheck persisted. In an interview with French network FTV, she characterized herself as an ostracized secretary who reflected on how her lack of fulfilling employment had affected her wellbeing. It is not a privilege to be compensated to stay at home and not work. “It’s really difficult to handle,” she told FTV.
According to her case, Orange disregarded its legal obligation to provide reasonable accommodations under French labor law in addition to failing to provide significant duties. David Nabet-Martin, Laurence’s attorney, contends that the company’s conduct constituted discrimination and permanent exclusion.
Laurence claims that Orange put her on standby, then moved her on sick leave, and finally recommended retirement as a solution. She claims that nothing significant ever changed in spite of repeated requests for support, redeployment, or training. The business apparently did nothing in 2015, even after she filed a formal complaint with the High Authority for the Fight Against Discrimination.
The best course of action is to do nothing for 20 years and then, when you are ready to retire, sue the firm. Receive a hefty retirement payout in addition to your usual paycheckpic.twitter.com/6eoGtgWbdD
Oscar Le August 15, 2025 (@oscarle_x)
According to Nabet-Martin, the case shows that workplace neglect can be just as harmful as wrongful termination. He claimed that Orange had not fulfilled its duty to make reasonable accommodations at work and that the circumstances blatantly fit the criteria of discrimination.
On the other hand, Orange has denied the charges. According to French publication La D p che, the firm claimed to have considered her individual socioeconomic circumstances and made every effort to keep her in the best possible circumstances while she was away from active duty. Executives added that because of her repeated sick absence, Laurence had been considered for a return to work in a different capacity, but this never materialized. Laurence is committed to proving that being paid to do nothing was anything but a boon in the ongoing court battle. It was 20 years of lost connection, dignity, and purpose for her.
