What happened recently at Doosan Corporation Mottrol illustrates how inhumane employers can be toward workers. It is truly concerning that this case might not be isolated and there might be similar cases of workers being deprived of basic human dignity.

The man, a 47-year-old white-collar worker, was among a group of 20 employees who the firm wanted to fire through “honorary retirement,” a euphemism for early retirement. 

He refused to accept the retirement plan, and the management retaliated by depriving him of his duties. He was given a solitary desk and a chair in the most unlikely place in the office -- in front of a row of staff lockers. His desk and chair were arranged in such a way that he was facing the lockers.

He was given instructions comparable to those given to prison inmates. He had to arrive at the office by 8:30 a.m. and was allowed only three breaks until he left at 5:30 p.m. -- one hour for lunch, one 15-minute break in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Apart from these break times, he had to sit on the chair throughout the day. He was not allowed to leave his seat for more than 10 minutes without reporting to his superior. He was also not permitted to have personal conversations on the phone or read books or newspapers. In short, the only thing he was free to do was breathe.

The man took the case to the local labor committee, which only forced the firm to give him a new workstation -- a small round table with two chairs. He was also assigned to a “retraining program” and a new job that was totally different from his previous one.

Layoffs -- or labor market flexibility in a broad sense -- are necessary to sustain the market economy, but that should not allow a company’s management to insult and humiliate workers.

There should be a minimum level of human rights and dignity for workers and it must be guaranteed. The company should apologize and provide assurance that such an incident will not happen again. Labor authorities and human rights watchdogs should also look into the case.