Company should pay ex-employee $450,000 for surprise birthday party

Thinking of organizing a surprise party for a coworker? Think again, because as the saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.”. This must have felt like the former employers of a man in Kentucky (US) receiving a lawsuit from the man who claimed he suffered a panic attack during his surprise party.

Kevin Burling, 29, was working as a lab technician at Gravity Diagnostics in Covington, Kentucky, when his colleagues decided to celebrate his birthday over lunch one day in August 2019.

Burling said that after the party he had a panic attack of unwanted attention and the next day, after a tense episode, he was fired from Gravity Diagnostics. Subsequently, he filed a compensation claim against the company, according to legal documents I reviewed New York Post.

“Managers are starting to give him a hard time with his response to the Christmas festivities”Burling’s attorney, Tony Bucher, told a local TV news channel. WKRC. In fact, they accused him of stealing the joy of his co-workers.

Burling allegedly He asked the office manager not to throw a birthday party for him When he first joined the company in 2018.

However, the director He “forgot” his order and the office festivities continued, resulting in Berling having a panic attack. The man says he was forced to flee to his car, where he spent an hour trying to recover.

The next day, the company’s chiefs held a meeting with Berling to question him about his behavior. This incident triggered a second panic attack.

Berling was fired from Gravity Diagnostics less than a week later, and superiors told him they were “Worried he will get angry and maybe violent.”

The lab technology later lost ground as part of the rapid growth of gravity diagnostics, which occurred during the COVID pandemic. At that time, some employees got raises of 300%, As mentioned independent.

The fired worker then filed a lawsuit in Kenton County, requesting that ruin s compensation for loss of income.

Boucher said WKRC That there was no possibility of his client becoming violent, saying that he was “Using coping techniques to calm down” During my panic attacks.

last friday, The jury of 12 people unanimously approved Burling, in this way, the company should award him $450,000.

Quantity Include $120,000 in lost wages and benefits, $30,000 in future wages, and $300,000 for “past, present, and future mental pain and suffering, psychological pain, shame, humiliation, humiliation, and loss of self-esteem,” According to the court. The ruling is in favor of Berling.

The company, which denies any discrimination and says it was not aware of employee anxiety issues, Mali said he would file an appeal.

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