France: France Telecom and several former executives found guilty of moral harassment

On 20 December, the correctional tribunal in Paris sentenced three former executives of France Télécom – the ex-CEO, deputy chief and human resources director – to a year in prison, of which eight months are suspended, as well as a €15,000 fine for moral harassment. The company, now part of Orange, was hit with a €75,000 fine. The matter dates back to the end of the 2000s, when a spate of suicides that occurred at the company revealed the human cost of a restructuring plan that sought to cut 22,000 jobs and transfer 10,000 workers over a period of three years. The court’s decision acknowledges, for the first time, that moral harassment can be caused by a company policy.