Boss who fired impeccable employee with personal attacks by email ends up paying for it — in court
Push came to shove when instead of a regular contract, she was forced to open a VAT number and work as a 'freelancer.'
A woman who was forced to work full-time as a "freelancer" by her boss ended up getting the ultimate revenge when his own email helped her win a legal battle. The story, shared by u/Haldamirie on Reddit, where it has gained over 1.8k upvotes since being posted on August 31, shows how exploitation in the workplace can sometimes backfire in the most satisfying way. The employee had been hired as an SEO copywriter and social media manager for a well-known Italian company. But instead of a regular contract, she was forced to open a VAT number and work as a "freelancer."
"In reality, I worked exclusively for them — 8 hours a day, 5 days a week — just like a full-time employee," she said. When she raised concerns, her bosses brushed her off with the promise that she would "find more connections through [them]," but none ever came. What happened to her happens more often than you’d think. Misclassifying employees as freelancers or contractors is one of the most common labor violations globally. A fact sheet from the Economic Policy Institute highlights how misclassified workers consistently lose out on benefits like minimum wage, overtime, and unemployment insurance across a range of industries.
Despite the unfair setup, she excelled at her work, consistently meeting deadlines and earning praise from both management and clients, but favoritism in the office was rampant. As she explained, the Mini Boss’s girlfriend and the Big Boss’s mistress were both on payroll despite being "hopeless at their jobs," often passing their mistakes on to others. "I didn’t hide my opinion — especially when their mistakes meant more work for everyone else," she wrote. After seven months, the "Mini Boss" abruptly told her, in person and without written notice, that her services were "no longer required." When she asked to speak with the General Manager, the request was denied.
"I just smiled and said to Mini Boss, 'This isn’t over,'" she noted. When he nervously asked if she was threatening the company, she told him, "Threats are for people who aren’t sure they’ll win. I’m making a promise. It’s just a matter of time." She contacted a lawyer and began building a case for wrongful termination and labor law violations, and that's when the tables turned. The Big Boss replied to her lawyer’s formal notice with a long email filled with insults and personal attacks, which worked out to her advantage. As she put it, "Thank you for the extra evidence, genius."
The case ran for a year, during which she collected all the proof, including more than 200 pages of chats, emails, communications, invoices, and photos. "Less than a week after my lawyer filed it (in the middle of Christmas Holidays), their own lawyer contacted me, practically begging me to name a settlement amount so they could avoid going to trial," she said. In the end, she requested a five-figure sum, and the company accepted without protest. On the day of the settlement hearing, the judge not only approved the agreement but also praised her preparation. She even warned the former boss, calling out his "appalling conduct" and adding, "We’re honestly tired of seeing your name in court."
The post resonated with many readers who praised the user for fighting back. u/DrKAS66 commented, "In Germany, this would be even nicer. If a company hires a freelancer full-time, this person can, after 2 years, claim employment, salary and social benefits." u/Wide_Ordinary4078 added, "I still think it should have at least been 6 figures. Especially if their lawyer reached out asking to settle. That was probably a million/billion dollar company you used to work for; they could afford it. Regardless, I’m glad you didn’t let them intimidate you, and you got the best payback ever! Don’t spend that money all at once now."
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