A man has won $450,000 in compensation after colleagues threw him a birthday party against his wishes.
A man has won $450,000 in compensation after an unwanted birthday party
Employees at Gravity Diagnostics in Kentucky forgot about Kevin Berling's request to avoid a typical birthday celebration on his big day as he was concerned that it would trigger his anxiety disorders.
According to Berling's complaint, the office manager forgot about his request and organised a party in August 2019.
Berling claims he was left overwhelmed and departed the celebration to spend his lunch hour in his car. He was also summoned to a meeting with management after the party incident which set off another anxiety attack.
The employee was subsequently fired from the firm and missed out on the rapid growth during the coronavirus pandemic, where staff saw raises of as much as 300 per cent.
A jury unanimously awarded Berling a $450,000 judgement against the company for "past, present and future mental pain and suffering, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, and loss of self-esteem".