Have you been harassed at work? If so, you may be able to bring a claim for harassment at work compensation.
If you would like to talk to one of our specialist lawyers in confidence about harassment at work then call our free legal helpline for an informal chat on 0333 888 0445, or send an email to [email protected].
Unfortunately many people experience unpleasant treatment at work at the hands of their managers and colleagues over the course of their working life. Most manage to shrug it off and move on, but occasionally harassment at work can have serious and detrimental impact on a person’s health. In these cases it is worth considering whether you can bring a claim for compensation for the psychiatric injury suffered and the financial impact it has had on you.
Harassment is defined by the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 as a persistent and deliberate course of conduct that is designed to (and does) cause the target fear, alarm and distress. This means that for the problematic behaviour to be legally classed as harassment it needs to:
- Happen more than once;
- Be deliberate; and
- Cause fear and alarm.
So what should you do if you are being harassed at work?
The most important thing is to maintain your own health; this should be the priority. Therefore we would encourage you to seek help and support from your GP or other healthcare providers. It is also helpful to tell someone at your work place what is going on and keep a record of those conversations and reports. If they can later be confirmed in writing (including emails) that will be helpful should you wish to make a compensation claim.
A claim for harassment at work would usually be brought against your employer on the basis that they have a duty to provide a safe place of work. Even if management do not know about the harassment they may still be “vicariously liable” for the harm caused by another of their employees in the course of their employment. Alternatively the Protection From Harassment Act can be used as the basis for a legal claim.
In order to make a successful claim you must have suffered a recognised psychiatric condition as a result of the harassment at work. Compelling medical evidence is therefore crucial. If we believe you have a viable claim we would usually be able to offer a No Win, No Fee funding arrangement and arrange for a medical assessment by a specialist psychologist or psychiatrist to be carried out. The medical expert would then prepare a report on the impact the harassment at work has had on your health.
You can read here about a successful harassment claim we brought against a local council after one of their employees harassed our client at a council run gym.
Please get in touch for a free and confidential assessment of your potential harassment at work claim. Call 0333 888 0445, or send an email to us at [email protected].