The claimant was employed by the defendant. She commenced employment aged 19 in September 1988. In June 2001, she suffered a breakdown and has not worked since. This case looked again at the issues which cause stress in employment. Reporting structures, priorities for work, lack of help and excessive hours. All too familiar circumstances in many places of employment. One of the questions that the Court considered was whether the provision of counselling services was sufficient, to discharge the duty of care. Not surprisingly, the Court found that the provision of such services is not sufficient. Another interesting point highlighted in this case, was that it was not a rule of law that an employee who did not resign when stresses at work were becoming excessive, necessarily lost a right of action against the employer.
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