Workplace Bullying or Harassment? Get Medical Support Today.
Confidential same-day telehealth consultation. Certificate of Capacity issued during the call. $0 with a valid WorkCover claim number.
Workplace Bullying and Workers Compensation
Workplace bullying is defined by Safe Work Australia as repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. When bullying causes a diagnosable psychological injury — such as anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, or PTSD — it may be compensable under the NSW workers compensation scheme.
However, psychological injury claims related to workplace bullying are more complex than physical injury claims due to the Section 11A exclusion in the Workers Compensation Act 1987. This section excludes claims where the injury results from reasonable management actions carried out in a reasonable manner. The key question is whether the behaviour you experienced was genuinely unreasonable or whether it fell within normal management practice.
What Constitutes Workplace Bullying
- Repeated verbal abuse, yelling, threats, or intimidation
- Deliberate exclusion from work activities, meetings, or social events
- Withholding information necessary to perform your job
- Setting unreasonable deadlines or impossible workloads with the intent to cause failure
- Spreading malicious rumours or gossip about a worker
- Constant, unjustified criticism of work performance beyond constructive feedback
- Sexual harassment, racial vilification, or discrimination
- Cyberbullying through work emails, messages, or social media
Section 11A: The Critical Distinction
Not every negative management decision qualifies as bullying. The Section 11A exclusion protects employers who take reasonable management actions in a reasonable manner. However, if the conduct was unreasonable — excessive criticism, humiliation in front of colleagues, targeting an individual without justification — the exclusion does not apply. Your doctor will document your clinical presentation; the legal question of reasonableness is ultimately determined through the claims process.
Symptoms Your Doctor Will Assess
How Claims Doctor Helps
Claims Doctor provides confidential, same-day video consultations for workers experiencing psychological injury from workplace bullying. Your doctor will assess your mental health, document your symptoms and their relationship to your workplace experiences, issue your Certificate of Capacity, and arrange referrals for psychological treatment. Telehealth means you consult from the privacy of your home — no waiting room, no chance of encountering colleagues.
Need a Confidential Consultation?
Same-day video appointment from home. Certificate issued during the call.
Book a Same-Day Consultation