I’ve Been Bullied at Work – What Kind of Compensation am I Entitled to?

Every worker has a basic right to feel safe in their workplace, and whether it’s your physical or mental health, your employer has a duty to protect that right at all times. Despite this, many people – from interns to senior managers – still become victims of workplace bullying. Many workplaces should have procedures and protocols in place to resolve these issues but depending on the severity of the bullying and harassment, you may be entitled to a workers compensation claim.

What is Considered ‘Workplace Bullying’?

Workplace bullying occurs when:

a worker is treated unreasonably by another worker or a group of workers.
the behaviour is repetitive.
there is a prolonged abuse of power directed at you.
you feel humiliated, offended and/or intimidated as a result of the behaviour.

Bullying can also come in many forms, such as verbal abuse, cyber-bullying, sexual harassment, or the spreading of harmful rumours. Similarly, what’s considered ‘unreasonable’ can be determined if you feel an impartial person would observe the situation and deem the behaviour unreasonable.

In cases where you’ve made attempts at reporting the bullying and harassment to your superiors, only to find the behaviour continued and your health declined as a result, you should appoint a workers compensation expert as soon as possible. Particularly if your ability to work has been affected due to your impacted health, you can make a claim to be compensated accordingly.

What am I Entitled to?

Given that being a victim of workplace bullying can have detrimental impacts on your health and even cause long-term damage that can affect future work, you can lodge a WorkCover claim for your psychological injuries. A medical professional will have to confirm that these injuries were a direct result of the workplace bullying and not a result of the reasonable actions of the employer. However, if the claim is successful, you may be compensated for loss of wages if you had to take time off work, medical expenses, as well as for any assistance required to retrain you if necessary. Lump sum payments are also available for those who have a permanent primary psychological injury of a minimum 15% whole person impairment.

If you feel you’ve been a victim of workplace bullying, speak to one our expert compensation lawyers today. We’ve helped hundreds of Australians get back on their feet after suffering at the hands of bullies and will make you feel 100% supported. If you feel you haven’t suffered any injuries but have still been subject to discrimination and harassment in the workplace, we also have an incredibly skilled employment team who will be happy to help.