Our client is a single mum. She has always been there for her child making sure there is food on the table and a loving caring home environment to grow up in.
As her child grew older, mum wanted to get back into the workforce on a part-time basis. Being an unskilled worker, she took a job working for a boss who had a home cleaning business. The company had several women employed in the cleaning team. They would clean up to 4 homes a day.
Our client enjoyed the friendship of her fellow cleaners but her boss had a "Jekyll and Hyde" personality. When things weren't going well for the boss, she would let fly at her staff. Quite often the abuse was for no apparent reason. Our client didn't like to make waves and she put up with the abuse as she didn't want to lose her job.
As luck would have it, she was required to do the vacuuming of the residential properties as part of her duties. She coped with this arduous job because she had the use of a light weight backpack vacuum cleaner. She managed to get the job done. At one point the vacuum cleaner needed repair so the boss provided our client with a very old and very heavy backpack vacuum cleaner. After using this machine for several days, our client started to feel pain in her back and down into her legs. She quietly told her boss about the problems but unfortunately she was met with a torrent of abuse and was told to put up with the pain and work through it.
She soldiered on giving her best, putting up with the pain for as long as she could. Her back continued to deteriorate and eventually she had to turn to her GP for advice on treatment.
The Doctor referred her off to various specialists. She had an MRI scan which revealed disc bulging. She underwent pain management, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. She was keen to get back to work. At one point she went back to work advising her boss that her doctor had told her not to do any vacuum cleaning but to do lighter cleaning work. Having given her medical certificate for light duties to the boss, the boss "went ballistic".
Then followed weeks of bullying, harassment, ranting and raving. This ongoing abuse, over many weeks, eventually had a debilitating effect on our client. She broke down emotionally. She started to experience nightmares, hot sweats and palpitations. She became hypervigilant. She couldn't sleep. She put on weight and became socially withdrawn. In fact, she experienced a personality change. She had anxiety about leaving her home and rarely mixed socially with her friends. This psychological injury, caused by the abuse heaped on her by her boss, effectively ended any chance of her continuing to work.
Psychologists and psychiatrists needed to treat our client. Unfortunately, the intrusive recollections of the shocking treatment metered out to our client by her boss, remain.
Not knowing what to do and what her rights were, she turned to the team at Taylor & Scott for expert advice on compensation and negligence claims.
Simon Meigan, Partner and Accredited Specialist in personal injury, advised his client. He gathered together medical evidence which established that his client had been left with a severe psychiatric injury which allowed him to bring a work injury damages claim against the employer on behalf of his client.
Eventually the matter came to a mediation/settlement conference. Simon was able to negotiate a substantial settlement of his client's claim, compensating her for loss of wages right up to retirement age.
Fortunately, with the matter settling at mediation, Simon had secured his client's financial future. He had successfully avoided the distress for his client in having to go through a hearing in the Courts. He had taken a great burden off his client by being able to bring the matter to a successful conclusion.
Taylor & Scott's Offer to You
If you are experiencing bullying and abuse at your work place, which is having a medical effect on you and which prevents you from working, you are welcome to contact our team of expert lawyers here at Taylor & Scott.
We will listen to you with a sympathetic compassionate ear. We will advise you and we will fight for your rights.
If we take your case, it will be on a no win/no pay basis, meaning that Taylor & Scott will not be paid any costs unless you win your case.
Please telephone us on 1800 600 664 or email us at info@tayscott.com.au.
We will do everything we can to maximise your entitlements.
At Taylor and Scott “We Care For You”.
