Former France Télécom Executives Convicted for Institutional Harassment
The Court of Cassation upholds convictions of Didier Lombard and Louis-Pierre Wenès for policies linked to workplace suicides during 2006-2008 restructuring.
- The Court of Cassation rejected appeals from Didier Lombard, former CEO of France Télécom, and Louis-Pierre Wenès, his deputy, making their convictions final.
- Both executives were sentenced to one year of suspended prison time and fined €15,000 for implementing policies that degraded working conditions to force staff reductions.
- The case centered on restructuring plans from 2006-2008 that aimed to cut 22,000 jobs and reassign 10,000 employees, leading to suicides and attempted suicides among workers.
- This ruling establishes 'institutional moral harassment' as a recognized legal concept in France, marking a significant precedent in labor law.
- France Télécom, now Orange, became the first CAC 40 company convicted for institutional harassment, with the company fined the maximum penalty of €75,000.
L'Humanité 
Sud Ouest 
