‘The judge actually congratulated me and my lawyer’: Boss exploits employee using a fake freelancing contract and then fires her without warning, so she takes them to court for violating labor laws

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  • a wooden gavel sitting on top of a wooden table in a court room
  • "Boss fires me illegally—Ends up paying for it"

    Hi everyone! Here's how my ex-boss and his brilliant management team tried to exploit me and ended up handing me the perfect revenge on a silver platter.
  • Petty? Quite a lot. In my country this is rarely done. A few years ago, I (F35) worked as a SEO Copywriter and SSM for a well-known Italian company.
  • I spoke and reported directly to Big Boss (General Manager) and Mini Boss. When they "hired" me, they forced me to open a VAT number (partita IVA)
  • 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. This is not exactly... fair.
  • I told them, they said "not worry, you will find more connections through us." (Never occurred). I did my job impeccably, always on time, never missed a deadline, and received plenty of praise
  • from management ans customers via emails and messages. The twist? The Mini Boss's girlfriend and the Big Boss's mistress (yes, both on payroll) were hopeless at their jobs.
  • They made mistakes, dumped their work on others, and only survived thanks to their "connections." I didn't hide my opinion ―especially when their mistakes meant more work for everyone else.
  • After seven months, out of nowhere, the Mini Boss tells me in person (no written notice, which is illegal): "Your services are no longer required." I ask to speak with Big Boss, too.
  • Request denied. I just smiled and said to Mini Boss, "This isn't over." He looked nervous and asked, "Are you threatening the company?"
  • I replied, "Threats are for people who aren't sure they'll win. I'm making a promise. It's just a matter of time." With my lawyer, I started legal action for wrongful termination and labor law violations.
  • Here's where it gets delicious: The Big Boss, in his infinite wisdom, replied to my lawyer's official communication with a long, angry email full of insults and personal attacks.
  • Thank you for the extral evidence, genius. After a year (because Italian bureaucracy is slow as h I), I delivered a 200- page dossier of evidence: chats, emails, communications, invoices, photos- everything.
  • 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.
  • euro currency under a judge's gavel to show that they won the lawsuit
  • With my lawyer, I asked for a five-figure sum. They accepted without a single complaint. On the day of the settlement hearing, the judge actually congratulated me and my lawyer for how thoroughly we'd documented everything.
  • She then turned to my ex-boss and gave him a stern warning about his "appalling conduct," adding, "We're honestly tired of seeing your name in court." Looks like a leopard really doesn't change its spots.
  • TL;DR: Boss tries to exploit me with a fake freelance contract, fires me illegally, then hands me all the evidence I need to win in court.
  • Their lawyer begs for a settlement, they pay up, and the judge roasts my ex-boss for being a repeat offender. Karma served.
  • dhgaut I love the zinger at the end: Boss is always going to lose in front of this judge.
  • Haldamirie I recently found out that other ex-colleagues took similar actions against him. Excellent way to get a bad reputation in the court of a small province.

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