Marten Bjork/Unsplash How to put a dollar value on an individual’s emotional suffering has been the topic of significant debate in employment law over the past few years. OPINION: How to put a dollar value on an individual’s emotional suffering has been the topic of significant debate in employment law over the past few years. Historically, awards of compensation for humiliation and distress have been low. Typically, an employee who has been unjustifiably dismissed may expect to receive three months’ lost wages and compensation of around $10,000 to $15,000. That may not be an insignificant amount, but when you factor in legal fees and the emotional cost of taking an employer to court, many employees come out the other end questioning whether it was worth it.