The Court
of Appeal has laid down new guidelines for the courts on work-related stress
illness claims after three employees lost awards totalling nearly £200,000.
The guidelines were laid
down after the court allowed three appeals by employers over work-related
stress claims.
A fourth appeal was
dismissed "not without some hesitation".
The court ruled that in
future signs of stress must be obvious enough for any reasonable employer to identify
the problem and take action.
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In their guidance the
judges said that any employer which offers a confidential counselling service
with access to treatment is unlikely to be found in breach of its duty.
