Workplace stress

Research indicates around one in four of us* suffer a mental health problem each year, with one in six** experiencing issues at work, which could be caused by a number of potential factors including:

• Too high or too low a workload
• A lack of support
• Inadequate training or experience
• Bullying or abuse from colleagues / suffering harassment in the workplace
• Bad management
• A physically uncomfortable working environment

The majority of employers are supportive and will help their employees if they are struggling.

In instances where this is not the case, it is important to understand your rights in order to make a claim. Certain conditions are required for any claim to succeed:

• There must be a foreseeable risk of psychiatric injury arising from the work you were required to do, or from the conditions in which you were working; and
• Insufficient or inappropriate steps were taken to address this risk; and
• Your employer was made aware of your problems AND that your health was suffering.

If all these conditions are met, then it is possible to bring a claim for compensation against your employer. There are numerous things you can do to assist any potential claim:

• Tell your employer
• Keep a diary of your ill health and a timeline of events at your workplace
• Get a medical diagnosis from your GP
• Record any impact on your life and finances. Such as loss of earnings and medication purchases.

Due to the complex nature of mental health conditions, both personal and workplace-based, it can be difficult to make successful claims.

Should you think that you have suffered workplace stress, contact Louise Plant on 01473 232121.

* https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/

** https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-mental-health-work