Three former colleagues of Manu Levy demanded the reclassification of their contracts as permanent contracts and will receive compensation for moral damage, the industrial tribunal ruled this Friday.
Three former colleagues of Manu Levy, who notably accuse the star host of NRJ of “moral harassment”, which he disputes, won their case against the radio this Friday, November 15 at the industrial tribunal, the latter being condemned to pay them more than 300,000 euros.
The industrial tribunal notably reclassified as permanent contracts the contracts of Isabelle Giami and Valentin Chevalier, compensated for dismissal “without real and serious cause”, according to the judgment.
He canceled the conventional termination of Aude Fraineau's contract, who also demanded overtime. All three, who left the station in 2023, must also be compensated for moral damage.
NRJ “reserves the right to appeal”
“This is a big, fairly clear and severe victory for NRJ. Clearly, the moral harassment has been recognized,” declared their lawyer Me Pierre Vignal.
“NRJ takes note of the decisions announced, the details and motivations of which are not known as they stand, and will not be available for several days, so they must be interpreted with caution,” the radio clarified.
She “reserves the right to appeal” and underlines “that the plaintiffs’ requests are based in part on accusations taken up by an internal investigation in 2023” the validity of which is contested. The case had five plaintiffs, four of whom were successful.
Cyrille Laporte, member of the social and economic committee (CSE), who contested a warning after an attempted dismissal, must also be compensated to the tune of 8,000 euros by Chérie FM, owned by NRJ. Pauline Goireau, who linked the end of her trial period in the NRJ podcast subsidiary to the fact that her partner, Valentin Chevalier, was a “whistleblower”, was dismissed.
Manu Levy's former colleagues, at the helm of the radio morning show since 2011, criticize him for “extreme control” and “an immense workload”, Me Vignal explained in April.
“All of them saw their health damaged” and “suffered career damage,” he added, affirming that the harassment was “the determining factor” in their departure from the station. The host “categorically refutes all the facts with which (he is) overwhelmed”.
“In 13 seasons on NRJ, I have not been aware of any complaint concerning me. Over the last 10 years, Valentin Chevalier has stayed for 8 years, Isabelle Giami for 5 years,” he pointed out in April.
Gaël Sanquer, deputy director of music media for the NRJ group, criticized the “black, caricatured and misleading picture” drawn up by the complainants. In parallel with the industrial tribunal procedure, two investigations are underway, according to Me Vignal, one targeting a colleague of Manu Levy for sexual assault, the other NRJ for witness tampering.
