An employee's entitlement to 'sick leave' known as personal leave...
Court Services Victoria (CSV) recently pleaded guilty for breaching section 21(1) of the Occupation Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) for failing to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health where it was alleged that the toxic workplace culture of CSV contributed to an employee suicide.
It was alleged that from December 2015 to September 2018, workers of CSV within the Coroners Court were exposed to:
During this time, multiple complaints were made by the workers which included:
Numerous workers of CSV reported feelings of anxiety, PTSD, stress, fear and humiliation and did not return to the workplace after going on personal leave. The in-house solicitor Ms Jessica Wilby was one of those workers who went on three months personal leave during which she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and subsequently took her own life in September 2018.
In sentencing, CSV was convicted and fined $379,157.00 for breaching the OHS Act and was also ordered to pay $13,863.00 in legal costs.
Magistrate Walsh in sentencing noted that:
In the Work Safe Victoria Press Release, they provided the following recommendations for employers to prevent work-related mental injuries:
For more information see – Court body fined almost $380,000 for deadly work culture | WorkSafe Victoria
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