Tasmania Police officer wins compensation after being overlooked for acting sergeant
A Tasmanian police officer, overlooked for promotion, has had a win in her fight for compensation. Read what happened.
Tasmania
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Tasmanian police who says she suffered anxiety, depression and paranoia, after being rejected for acting sergeant roles, has won her case for compensation.
She lodged a claim for compensation in October last year, also saying she was disliked by her inspector and felt ostracised in the workplace, which was disputed by Tasmania Police.
In the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal senior member Rod Chandler upheld the compensation claim.
In the compensation claim the officer described her injuries as “anxiety, depression, stress and loss of confidence, paranoia”, because she had been overlooked for acting sergeant roles “over the last few years despite making it known and having partially completed the sergeant’s course”.
“No one will explain why I am not considered other than telling me my Inspector ‘doesn’t like me’ or ‘has no appetite for me to be in the role’,” she said.
“This type of information has come over the last 18 months – 2 years from three previous acting sergeants and two substantive sergeants.
When I have requested reasons why to be given to me by email, request was refused, and all conversations have only been verbal.
“I informed a previous Sergeant about 8-10 months ago that I have felt disrespected, and nothing changed, no explanation and other people with no desire to do further work/courses are offered the role.”
She said she felt “overlooked and disrespected” because other officers were given the acting sergeant role in the past when they have not shown any interest in promotion and have not undertaken the sergeant’s course.
Tasmania Police cited two grounds for disputing her claim, arguing she had not suffered an injury which is not a disease which has arisen out of or in the course of her employment and that the decision on promotion was based on reasonable grounds.
Consultant psychiatrist, Associate Professor Shashjit Varma who examined the worker for Tasmania Police in September, said she accepted the causes for the officer’s injuries.
“I believe the most significant cause which led to the diagnosis is being overlooked for promotion and secondary cause was being ostracised by other colleagues,” she said.
“I believe that diagnosis has arisen during the course of her employment. It was from a lack of action from the employer.”
Mr Chandler referred to emails by Inspector Anthea Maingay in which she said she was unaware of the officer being ostracised and there was “no formal process for determining who performs periods of Higher Duties Relief”.
In his decision, Mr Chandler said: “here is a dearth of evidence upon this subject which leaves the Tribunal unable to make a determination that the employer’s decision was a reasonably arguable one and taken, reasonably arguably, in a reasonable manner.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Tasmania Police officer wins compensation after being overlooked for acting sergeant
‘Stigma’: largest workplace mental health study in state
For many Tasmanians workplaces can be stressful. Two Tasmanian academics want workers to help them with a groundbreaking study. Read why.
Charges laid over fatal crash outside Cosgrove High School
Police have laid charges nearly a year after a fatal crash that killed a 12-year-old Cosgrove High School student, who was allegedly hit by a car outside his school.