PARIS: A Frenchman has sued his former boss over the “crushing boredom” he suffered in a job he claims turned him into a “professional zombie”.

On Monday, Frederic Desnard, 44, lodged a complaint at a labour relations tribunal, demanding $415,000 in compensation and damages for the “bore-out” he suffered as a well-paid executive in the perfume business.

Desnard, who was paid an annual salary of more than 80,000 euros, had been off sick for seven months with a doctor’s certificate when his company, Interparfums, sacked him in Sept 2014.

His lawyer Montasser Charni said that his “bore-out” -- the opposite of burnout -- caused Desnard to have an epileptic fit while driving, which in turn caused him to have an accident that landed him in a coma for several days. Desnard joined the company, which specialises in licensing luxury perfumes, as a manager in Dec 2006.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2016