Although the company have been totally discredited, the payout is unlikely to be adequate compensation for the loss of his position, and future difficulty in explaining his situation to any prospective employer.
In the meantime the company have managed to achieve a convincing demonstration of "pour encourager les autres " for a relatively small forfeit (I imagine ) & will never have another fatigue report /refusal to extend for the foreseeable.
Whilst admirable in itself, it is a hopeless gesture in the grand scheme of things if no action is taken against the company by the relevant authority charged with oversight, and that ain't gonna happen any time soon . . . too many "old boys club" / funny handshakes around for that to be a risk.
