France Telecom bosses face verdict over wave of suicides

Paris: A French court will rule on Friday whether the former CEO of France Telecom and other executives carried out “institutional harassment” that sparked a spate of suicides at the company. Between 2008 to 2009, 35 employees of the former state-owned telecom giant, now called Orange, took their own lives as managers embarked on a vast restructuring plan that included cutting 22,000 jobs.

The episode became a rallying cry for critics demanding action against “moral harassment” by bosses focusing ruthlessly on the bottom line at the expense of employees’ well-being.

Prosecutors sought a one-year prison term for former chief Didier Lombard and the maximum fine of 15,000 euros (USD 16,700) during a trial that wrapped up in July. France Telecom itself was charged with “institutional harassment” and faces a fine of up to 75,000 euros.