If you have ever been the victim of bullying, whether its at work or school, you can understand how devastating it can be.The good news is, that if you’re being bullied at work, you don’t need to put up with it!You have the right to work in a safe, bully-free environment. If the behaviour of your work colleague is repeated, unreasonable and you feel it may be affecting your psychological health, you may be entitled to claim for compensation.
What is bullying?
Bullying at work occurs when:
a person or a group of people repeatedly behaves unreasonably towards a worker or a group of workers at work
AND
the behaviour creates a risk to health and safety.
Bullying behaviour may include the following behaviours, that are repeated and unreasonable and create a risk to health and safety:
- aggressive or intimidating behaviours
- humiliating comments
- spreading rumours
- teasing or practical jokes
- exclusion from work-related events
- unreasonable work expectations, such as too much or too little work, or work below or beyond a worker’s skill level
- displaying offensive material
- pressure to behave inappropriately
Where to start?
- If you feel able to, try speak to the person who is bullying you and ask them to stop.
- If that doesn’t work, speak to your boss or supervisor and explain the situation.
- Contact Cairns Compensation Lawyer who can advise you on the best way to deal with the situation and whether you may be entitled to compensation
Workers compensation claims
If you believe bullying at work has affected your mental health, you may be entitled to claim for workers’ compensation. In order to claim for mental illness, you will need medical evidence to show that you’re suffering from a psychological or psychiatric injury. You will also need to show that this psychological injury was not caused by normal work stress and was caused by bullying that occurred at work.
If you have been bullied at work or know someone that has been bullied at work, contact Cairns Compensation Lawyers for a no obligation free initial claim assessment. There are strict time limits that apply to making a workers compensation claim. In almost every case you are required to bring a worker’s compensation claim within three years of the date of the accident or injury being suffered.
Common Law Claims
Apart from entitlements under the workers compensation scheme, you may also be able to make a common law claim if it can be shown that the employer was to blame for the bullying or was negligent in dealing with the situation.Like most area’s of injury compensation law, there is a complicated regime that dictates the manner in which a claim for workers compensation is made.Thus we always recommend that you contact a Lawyer to handle your claim.
At Cairns Compensation Lawyers we offer a no obligation free initial claim assessment.Contact us today.
Contact:
Cairns Compensation Lawyers
1/15 Spence St, Cairns City QLD 4870