After Having A Panic Attack Caused By The Surprise Birthday Party Organized At His Office, Man Is Unfairly Fired For His Behavior, And Sues The Company

He already told his manager about his condition and that he didn't want the party.

May

• Published in Interesting
• May 7, 2022

Most people can't help but feel nervous in social situations. For instance, going on first dates or presenting a proposal during a meeting can be quite nerve-wracking.

But when a person has a social anxiety disorder, certain interactions can cause a great amount of self-consciousness and uneasiness. This mental health condition can be chronic.

Discomfort and shyness in some social environments aren't solid symptoms of social anxiety disorder, especially in children. Since people have different personalities, some can be friendly and outgoing while others are reserved.

But unlike the nervousness people typically feel, a social anxiety disorder can negatively impact daily living, relationships, work, and various activities. Today, we're looking at a story of an employee who made it clear to his colleagues that he didn't want a birthday party thrown at him for work because he suffers from panic attacks and anxiety disorder.

The people at the company didn't listen and organized a party for him anyway. Just like he said, he had a panic attack during the affair.

Remember that panic attacks can become serious because they manifest in a range of physical symptoms. Shortness of breath, choking, the feeling of losing consciousness, and chest pain potentially happen during a panic attack.

So he sued this company. Fortunately, he won the case and received $450,000 as compensation.

Kevin Berling was an employee of Gravity Diagnostics.

The company regularly held small parties for their employees in their celebration of their birthdays during lunch break.

With that knowledge, Berling told his manager not to throw the party for him because of his conditions.

The manager listened to Berling.

Unfortunately, she forgot to let people know and after five days, a party was held for Berling. His panic attacks began so he had no choice but to get back to his car.

The next day, his utterly insensitive boss spat unfair criticisms.

He was told that he was being a little girl and that he took away the joy of his coworkers.

Too much attention is something that Berling can't handle. That's why he informed his manager about his condition.

The way he was treated after his party gave him another panic attack.

Berling's lawyer, Tony Butcher, narrates that during panic attacks his client hugs himself in order to deal with his condition. Instead of understanding Berling's plight, they only told him to stop, but since he couldn't, they just went away.

To his coworkers, it looked like he was enraged.

As a result, Berling's key was taken away from him and he was banned from entering work.

Berling was sent home. He was also informed about his termination due to the past week's events.

The ex-employee sued the company for the violation of Kentucky Civil Rights Act because he was unfairly fired for disability and they threw a birthday party against his wishes.

The company defended itself by saying that Berling wasn't able to prove his disability and that the workplace wasn't safe with his presence.

Berling won the case because it was proven by the jury that he suffers from a disability and the company didn't provide a safe environment for his condition.

The company had to settle a total of $450K, which included lost of wages and benefits plus the damages brought about by the incidents.

The story exploded, and mental illnesses became a discussion online.

People also talked about listen to people's requests, appreciating employees for their hardwork, and respective boundaries.

A lot of people could relate to Berling because they also despised being the center of attention.

People online acknowledge what Berling was going through.

According the an expert, the company should have done their best to accommodate the condition after the manager heard about it.

For example, companies can start programs where people with mental conditions can have access to licensed professionals.

The topic became a hot discussion on Twitter.

Generally, people criticized the company for the incident.

Every mental health condition should be taken seriously by employers.

If Berling's manager informed the others about his condition and the party wasn't held, it wouldn't be a problem. And instead of being discriminatory by firing him, the company should've begun efforts to create an environment where people with mental health issues can thrive.

May