Employers have a number of responsibilities for ensuring their workplaces are healthy, safe and comfortable environments for their employees, and this extends to stress related issues. People in intensive work environments who may feel they are being encouraged to work long hours or take on heavy workloads, leading to sleep deprivation and other issues, may have legal recourse if the situation does not improve and has a discernible effect on their wellbeing.

In many cases, such stressful conditions may be overcome by speaking directly with employers or supervisors, who may be able to improve the situation. If your employer is aware of the difficulties you are facing and does not take action to improve conditions however, or if you believe you are experiencing bullying in the workplace, speaking to personal injury solicitors could be the best option.

Stress can be a major factor in a number of illnesses, physical as well as psychological, including depression and consequences of loss of sleep, such as increasing the risk of traffic accidents when driving to work feeing fatigued and distracted. Incidences of stress related illnesses being reported in the workplace have risen steadily in the last few years, which may indicate that work conditions are becoming more stressful and difficult, or that awareness of employees' rights is growing.

Making a claim against your employer for stress related illnesses is typically more difficult than making a personal injury claim following physical injuries or illnesses, which is why it can be useful to consult with a personal injury lawyer to find out your rights and obtain legal assistance going forward. This is because employers are generally entitled to assume that their employees can cope with the responsibilities demanded of them, which is why being able to provide evidence of a psychiatric illness or injury can be vital for the success of your claim.

You could also improve your chances by being able to show that work tasks posed a real risk of causing such physical or psychological harm, and that your employer was aware of this exposure. If your employer failed to take adequate preventive steps to reduce stress levels in certain situations, this could also make them liable to pay compensation.

One of the most critical questions posed to employers in these cases is whether this kind of harm experienced by the employee could be said to have been reasonably foreseeable. This may involve proving that the work conditions faced by the individual employee put them at greater risk than standard occupational stress.

Bruce Giles writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.