When it comes to managing the psychosocial hazard of job demands, employers must ensure they consider not just the amount of work but also how work is structured, according to a risk management specialist.
There was no reasonable basis for an employee to believe he was being bullied; rather, he sought to "entrench" himself as a victim, the Fair Work Commission has found in refusing to issue stop-bullying orders.
Accusing an employee of misconduct and issuing her a warning, in circumstances which at their highest pointed to an inadvertent breach, was not reasonable administrative action, a tribunal has found.
Despite receiving HR advice about how to handle a redundancy meeting, an employer gave a long-serving manager no prior notice of its decision and no opportunity to bring a support person, among other factors found to be unreasonable.
Hopes that a new employee would "hit the ground running" did not materialise, and prompted numerous workplace issues that ultimately caused her psychological injury, a commission has ruled.
An investigation into an employee's alleged "improper behaviour" did not align with the employer's own respectful workplace policy and was therefore "inadequate, flawed and unfair", a commission has ruled.
An absence of workplace bullying reports did not mean an employer wasn't aware of the conduct, a court has found, in awarding an employee more than $950k in damages for a psychiatric injury.
"Reasonable schemes reasonably implemented can miscarry without rendering them unreasonable," a commissioner has stressed, in rejecting the psychological injury claim of an employee who had a "troubling propensity for embellishment".
An employee suffered a psychological injury after the breakdown of a workplace friendship group, but his employer wasn't liable for it, a commission has ruled.
Implementing a support plan, holding frequent meetings and providing performance feedback from multiple people were all reasonable actions, a commission has ruled in a dispute over liability for an employee's psychological injury.
When an employer receives a complaint or becomes aware of a conduct issue, it's not always appropriate to go down a traditional disciplinary path. This HR Daily Premium Q&A will discuss alternative options and how to determine which is best in various circumstances.
Recent constructive dismissal claims highlight the risks involved in accepting a resignation from an employee who is experiencing mental health issues. Watch this Q&A to understand the rulings' implications for all employers.
