Stress at work claim – Settlement of £210,000

Our client brought a claim for psychiatric injury suffered as a result of stress at work during the course of her employment as a receptionist. Despite her long service and her employer’s knowledge of her mental health history, she was left without support to cope with an excessive workload and inadequate resources. With Fosters’ assistance, she was able to pursue her case and ultimately achieved a settlement of £210,000.

Client’s Story

Our client had been employed by her former workplace for eight years when she was transferred under the TUPE regulations to a new organisation, who were given a contract to provide the ‘front of house’ services to her former employer.

Following the transfer, her general workload increased but her employer did not take any steps to address this. Our client had a well-documented yet complex history of mental health conditions, which her employer was aware of.

Two years into her employment with the new company, our client was signed off from work twice with depression and anxiety caused by stress at home and at work. From later that year and for a further 18 months, she managed to cope until her experienced colleague was signed off. At that point, our client was left to deal with an excessive workload with inadequate resources and IT equipment, as well as limited support.

She would regularly be tearful at work and her manager even noticed that she would become “twitchy” when stressed. Matters worsened when her employer sought to reduce expenses by holding a redundancy consultation. The reception team of four was reduced to just two, one of whom was our client.

On one particularly busy day, she explained to her manager that she was feeling stressed but was given no support. She became overwhelmed and suffered a panic attack on reception. She was subsequently signed off work and was never able to return.

How we helped

Fosters’ Personal Injury team were instructed to help with a stress at work claim. Proceedings were issued after liability was firmly denied by the defendant employer. The employer also sought to rely on a limitation defence, either in part or in full.

A joint settlement meeting was arranged, where the defendant’s first offer was rejected. As agreement could not be reached at this stage, the claim later proceeded to a mediation. At Mediation, the claim was successfully settled for £210,000.

Testimonial

Client testimonial: “Chris Turner at Fosters Solicitors, dealt with my stress at work personal injury claim, on a no win, no fee basis. From our very first contact, Chris was professional, understanding, and highly motivated in my case. With Chris, I felt believed and heard, something that my ex-employer had completely let me down on.

“Mine was a difficult case, and one that other firms had not been willing to take on. Chris overcame many obstacles in my case to secure a successful settlement. What sets Chris apart, as well as being a truly knowledgeable legal professional, is he genuinely cared about me and my case.

“Chris supported me every step of the way and was highly communicative, always keeping me informed. My case eventually settled, and I was pleased with the outcome. I found Fosters Solicitors to be a very professional firm, who really cared and provided a great service. I would not hesitate to recommend Fosters! Chris went above and beyond during my case and exceeded my expectations. I would recommend Chris in a heartbeat.”

Stress at work claim experts

This case shows how devastating the effects of workplace stress can be, particularly where employers fail to act despite being aware of an employee’s health conditions.

At Fosters, our specialist Personal Injury team understand the complexity of stress at work claims and the impact these cases have on people’s lives. We are experienced in dealing with employers who deny liability, and we work tirelessly to ensure that our clients achieve the best possible outcomes.

If you have suffered psychiatric injury as a result of stress at work, our team can provide clear advice and dedicated support. We understand you will want to know how we can assist, so we offer a free of charge no obligation first meeting or chat, which we follow up with a full letter of advice. If you are in any doubt as to whether you have a claim, please do contact us, again completely without obligation. We are also able to discuss how you can cover the cost of a claim, including through a no win no fee agreement.

Please call us on 01603 620508 or complete our contact form.