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After being fired from his company, a man sued his former employer for throwing him unwanted birthday party and managed to bag $450,000 (RM1.9million) in the win.
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According to The New York Times, back in 2019, Kevin Berling reportedly experienced two panic attacks on the job, which were triggered by an unwanted surprise birthday party.
The first panic attack happened during said birthday party which his co-workers threw, when he simply left to eat lunch in his car after finding out about the party plans.
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This resulted in Kevin being called in for a meeting with his superiors who reprimanded him for the response.
Thus…a second panic attack occurred where Kevin reported to have made fists and gestured in a way of hugging himself. He also told his superiors to stop speaking during the meeting which was interpreted as a violent response.
After the meeting, Kevin was sent home and was fired via email shortly after.
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According to Kevin’s attorney, Tony Bucher, Kevin’s actions during the meeting were “coping techniques that he’s worked on for years with his therapist.”
He also mentioned to The New York Times that “they made assumptions that he was dangerous based off of his disability and not off of any evidence that he was violent.”
Last month, the court case was decided where the jury agreed that Kevin faced discrimination as a result of his disability and was awarded $450,000 (RM1.9million) in damages, $150,000 (RM642,333) of which was related to pay and benefits that he lost out on. The remainder was awarded due to emotional damages as a result of the discriminating firing.
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The New York Times has reported that Kevin’s former company plans to challenge the ruling. The company’s founder and COO claims that the company’s response was appropriate due to the risk of workplace violence and that the company was unaware of Kevin’s anxiety disorder.
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Mental health is a delicate issue to tackle and it’s not a waste to pay closer attention to the wellbeing of others and even yourself. If you are experiencing any symptoms relating to a mental issue such as anxiety, depression and others, please reach out to a licensed professional who can help you.
Info via Popcrush, New York Times
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