Court Fined $380,000 For Psychologically Hazardous Work Environment
Court Services Victoria (CSV), an independent statutory body responsible for administering Victoria’s court system, has been found guilty and penalized $379,157 due to a harmful work environment at the Coroners Court of Victoria. This environment led to the tragic suicide of an employee and caused several others to take stress leave.
The sentencing took place October 19, 2023 in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, following CSV’s earlier admission of guilt to a single count of failing to ensure and uphold a safe workplace. In addition to the fine, CSV was also instructed to cover costs amounting to $13,863.
From December 2015 to September 2018, employees at the Coroners Court were subjected to various hazards. These included exposure to traumatic materials, role conflict, excessive workloads and demands, poor interpersonal relationships, and inappropriate behaviors in the workplace.
During this time, numerous complaints were lodged by employees, citing issues such as bullying, favoritism, cronyism, verbal abuse, derogatory remarks, intimidation, privacy invasions, and perceived threats to career advancement.
Several employees took leave due to reported feelings of anxiety, PTSD, stress, fear, and humiliation. Some, including Principal In House Solicitor Jessica Wilby, never returned. Wilby, aged 45, had been on personal leave for three months and was diagnosed with a work-related major depressive disorder before her tragic suicide in September 2018.
CSV acknowledged its failure to implement any sufficient process to identify risks and to adequately assess the risks to the psychological health of employees at the Coroners Court.
Narelle Beer, WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety, emphasized the strong correlation between a workplace’s culture and the mental wellbeing of its workers. She stated, “Everyone in an organization has a role to play in creating a healthy and safe environment, but the development of a positive culture and appropriate risk control measures depends on leadership from the top.”
She further stressed that it is an employer’s legal obligation to do everything possible to support their workers to thrive in their roles and ensure they leave work each day no worse than how they arrived.
To prevent work-related mental injuries, employers should:
- Foster a positive workplace culture that promotes trust, respectful behaviors, and effective communication.
- Engage employees in the process of identifying and assessing any risks to their psychological health and determining the appropriate control measures.
- Establish policies and procedures for reporting and responding to psychosocial hazards such as workplace trauma, bullying, interpersonal conflict, violence, and aggression; and review and update risk controls following any incidents.
- Regularly check in with employees, encourage them to discuss any work-related concerns, and implement suitable support and controls where necessary.
- Implement systems for workforce planning and workload management to ensure that employees have adequate resources and a manageable workload.
- Develop leadership skills through coaching, mentoring, and training to enhance employee support.
- Seek and act on feedback from employees during any organizational change process.
- Inform workers about their entitlements if they become unwell or unfit for work.
- Provide suitable and confidential channels to support workplace mental health and wellbeing, such as Employee Assistance Programs.
To assess, remove, and prevent psychosocial hazards in your workplace, register today for Squadify's upcoming Q&A webinar with employment & safety law expert Ian Bennett.
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