A court in France ruled that a Paris consultant (referred to as “Mr. T”) was wrongly fired for not “being fun at work” -- i.e., he didn’t socialize after hours. The court said companies can’t force their workers to have fun
As the NY Post put it, he won the “legal right to be ‘boring’”
Mr. T also had a number of other beefs: The company encouraged lewdness at work, and they expected employees to share beds on weekend trips
This case is part of a larger culture movement in white collar circles, says WaPo. In England, a man sued his former employer for injuries sustained during several wild “boy’s nights out” full of binge drinking
Above the Law says this case isn’t just about “having fun” at work -- the court protected the man’s right to not participate in sexual harassment. Shame on mainstream media for burying the real story
Stylist thinks Mr. T is an icon -- who doesn’t want to say “Screw this” to an after-hours social event? It’s a healthy boundary, other countries should learn from this decision
First hand agrees, and says skip the office party when possible -- it’s stressful, your colleagues aren’t your friends, and it’s risky when alcohol is involved
But blogger Corey Moseley likes the office party when done right -- it’s got to be inclusive, relaxed, and planned well in advance
Axios says it’s a cool victory for office workers in France, but Americans should be careful -- your right to be a sourpuss at work isn’t protected; You could get fired unless there is clear discrimination
And the company doesn’t agree with Mr. T’s narrative -- they say he was fired for professional reasons only