14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has always been considered one of the best companies to work for, but a former employee claims the Redmond-based technology giant has destroyed his career.
Mark Birkhead has sued Microsoft for what he calls “corporate torture,” Central Coast News reports, as the company fired him for no reason.
Birkeahd apparently proposed a project against the company’s status quo, the source adds, so Microsoft’s executives decided they no longer needed his services.
His boss started sending threatening emails before getting him demoted and fired for no reason, he claims.
“It's a system of intentionally hurting you mentally. That's what they do. They try to break you down and make you feel like your career is nothing. I should at least be able to work without being harassed, being discriminated against, and without being fired for no reason. Its flat out un-American,” Birkhead said.
“I'm suing the company for my career, for what I'm never going to get back. I'm suing to have my name restored. I'm suing to have my work validated.”
He’s now seeking damages worth $13.8 million (€10.4 million), even though he admits that it’s going to be a tough battle to win a lawsuit against Microsoft.
CNNMoney’s Fortune Magazine places Microsoft on the 76th position in its very own “100 Best Companies to Work For” ranking, down from the 72th place it held last year.
Fortune says that Microsoft rewards its software engineers with an average of $118,000 (€89,000), but also with a bonus of $13,800 (€10,400). Of course, each employee has plenty of benefits, including access to organic spa, Fortune adds.
What’s more, each Microsoft employee is getting free Windows 8 devices, such as a Surface RT tablet and Windows Phone 8 handhelds. The company has already started handing these gadgets to workers across the world, several Microsofties have confirmed on Twitter.