A recent spate of cases involving stress in the workplace has resulted in the public purse paying out over half a million pounds in settlements at the start of this year. This coincides with the recent campaign by charity Mind to encourage employers to provide mentally healthy workplaces.

In the largest individual pay-out, a warden at travellers’ site received a payment of over £200,000 after reaching an out-of-court settlement with Worcestershire County Council. The warden’s authority on the site was undermined after other council workers blocked him from enforcing council rules to evict anti-social travellers. As a result, the warden became the victim of verbal and physical abuse and was forced to retire after a nervous breakdown.

In the forthcoming issue of Facilities Management Legal Update, Helen Walker and Brian Gegg of Masons Solicitors examine the recent cases. The article concludes that the key in all the cases was that the employers had clearly taken no steps to avoid foreseeable illnesses resulting from the stressful situations.

The mental health charity Mind argues that employers can no longer afford to ignore the effects of stress on employee health (see E-Bulletin no.18). The charity has produced a new Employers’ Resource Pack and a booklet - ‘Surviving Workplace Life: The Mind guide to staying well in the workplace’ (http://www.mind.org.uk ). To get hold of a copy of the HSE guidance, ‘Help on Work-Related Stress: A short guide’, please e-mail us on asset.info@easynet.co.uk