Every year a substantial number of people are diagnosed mental illness brought on by stress at work. The effects can be devastating. The causes can vary a great deal, but might include:
· Excessive workloads,
· Excessive working hours,
· Bullying in the workplace, or
· Exposure to particular traumatic circumstances.
These issues could frequently be prevented by employers taking appropriate action as soon as they become aware of a problem. Many employers will wait until after the damage to their employees has become apparent before they provide counselling, or even begin to tackle the cause of the problem.
Employers owe their workforce a duty to combat work related stress when it is made known to them. However, many employers provide no support at all, while others take inadequate measures that fail to prevent further injury.
Compensation for these injuries could be worth as much as £10,000 or more. An award could be made for wages lost as a result of mental illness. Further sums can be recovered if the illness has affected a claimant’s future employability.
A claim against an employer or a former employer can be vitally important – not just in order to recover compensation, but as a means of making employers accountable. A successful work claim could force an employer to take action to prevent these injuries being suffered by others in future.
There are a number of state benefits available to victims and their carers. A specialist Solicitor can not only pursue compensation claims for sufferers on a true No Win, No Fee* basis, but also provide advice and assistance with applications in order to maximise benefit entitlement.
Andrew Bowen is the Managing Director of CityView Media who own and run a number of online websites including National Injury Claims and Claim King Accident Compensation.
