A man is suing his former company for hanging him upside down "like a piece of meat" during a cruel Christmas party prank.
Illyas Elkharraz, 23, moved to Australia from Morocco to become a carpenter. But his career was cut short when a savage prank at his festive party left him feeling "degraded, humiliated and embarrassed."
During the party, Elkharraz's co-workers flipped him upside down, suspended him from a machine, and slapped him.
The apprentice told 9 News: "All I remember is getting duct-taped to a machine. My boss was slapping me around and having a laugh."
More on this story in the video below. Warning* some people may find the footage upsetting.Elkharraz has since left the company and opened a lawsuit against his former employers. Alongside the psychological trauma, he claims they also prevented him from achieving his apprenticeship by not letting him go to Technical and Further Education College.
His lawyer Tony Carbone said he was shocked by the footage, and highlights how the prank could have easily ended in serious injury.
"If the thing that they tied around his legs were to have snapped or loosened and he hit his head on the ground, they are dealing with brain damage or quadriplegia," he said.
A government body that oversees workplace health and safety, WorkSafe Victoria, confirmed it was investigating the incident.
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