{"id":30812,"date":"2025-10-08T08:06:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T08:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prelive-tdw.visibleone.app\/?post_type=insight-and-news&#038;p=30812"},"modified":"2026-01-22T03:55:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T03:55:11","slug":"legal-update-is-stress-an-injury-when-does-psychiatric-trauma-amount-to-a-workplace-injury","status":"publish","type":"insight-and-news","link":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/insight-and-news\/legal-update-is-stress-an-injury-when-does-psychiatric-trauma-amount-to-a-workplace-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Update \u2013 Is stress an injury: when does \u2018psychiatric trauma\u2019 amount to a workplace injury?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n    \n\n<div style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/themes\/tanner-de-witt\/images\/insightdetails.jpeg')\"\n    class=\"insight-news-detail-hero\" id=\"insight-news-detail-hero\">\n\n\t\t<div style=\"background-color:\" class=\"insight-news-detail-hero-overlay \"><\/div>\n            <div class=\"z-[0]\">\n                <div class=\"insight-news-breadcrumbs flex items-end practice-areas-featured-breadcrumbs \">\n                    <a class=\"page-link no-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/\">Home<\/a>                <\/div>\n\n\n                <div class=\"hero-title\">\n                    <h1>\n                        Legal Update \u2013 Is stress an injury: when does \u2018psychiatric trauma\u2019 amount to a workplace injury?                    <\/h1>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                    <div style=\"\" class=\"hero-date \">\n\n                        <span class=\"month\">Oct<\/span>\n                        <span class=\"day\">08<\/span>\n                        <span class=\"year\">2025<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n    \n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script >\n    (function () {\n        document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", () => {\n\n            const breadCrumbsContainer = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\".practice-areas-featured-breadcrumbs\"));\n\n            breadCrumbsContainer.forEach(container => {\n                const breadCrumbLinks = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll('.page-link'));\n                const breadCrumbSeperators = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll('.separator'));\n\n                if (Array.from(breadCrumbLinks).length === 1) {\n                    const homeNode = breadCrumbLinks[0];\n\n                    if (!homeNode) {\n                        return\n                    }\n\n                    const postTypeNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n                    postTypeNode.textContent = \"Insights and News\";\n                    container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                    container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', postTypeNode)\n                    breadCrumbLinks.push(postTypeNode);\n\n                    if (\"Insights\") {\n                        const categoryNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n\n                        categoryNode.textContent = \"Insights\";\n                        container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                        container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', categoryNode)\n                        breadCrumbLinks.push(categoryNode);\n                    }\n\n\n                    const titleNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n\n                    titleNode.textContent = \"Legal Update \u2013 Is stress an injury: when does \u2018psychiatric trauma\u2019 amount to a workplace injury?\";\n                    container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                    container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', titleNode)\n                    breadCrumbLinks.push(titleNode);\n\n\n\n\n                }\n\n                breadCrumbLinks.forEach((link, index) => {\n\n                    link.classList.add('practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-name');\n                    const origin = window.location.origin;\n                    const href = window.location.href;\n\n                    const originSplitter = window.location.href.includes(\"insight-and-news\") ? \"insight-and-news\" : window.location.href.includes('insights-and-news') ? \"insights-and-news\" : \"\"\n\n                    const paths = href.split(originSplitter);\n                    const links = paths[1].split(\"\/\").filter(Boolean)\n\n\n                    const resolvedOrigin = originSplitter ? 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We summarise the key points of the decision as to whether and what conduct can cause mental injury to an employee which is capable of constituting a workplace injury and in turn give rise to an employee\u2019s compensation claim.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevant facts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Chan Man Sau (\u201c<strong>Mr. Chan<\/strong>\u201d) was a teacher at Elegantia College (the \u201c<strong>School<\/strong>\u201d). He commenced proceedings against the School, claiming work injury as a result of the following incidents:-<\/p>\n<p>(i) a sharp corner of the signage to the male changing room scratched his head and caused bleeding as he retrieved an item from his locker (\u201cthe Head Injury claim\u201d);<\/p>\n<p>(ii) a colleague \u2018criminally\u2019 intimidated him by making remarks about \u2018pranking\u2019 and \u2018killing\u2019 him;<\/p>\n<p>(iii) various students belittled him with strange looks and mocking comments which caused him to feel \u2018enormous emotional pressure\u2019;<\/p>\n<p>(iv) an allegedly faulty office phone which caused him to feel \u2018a lot of pressure and stress\u2019 and \u2018very concerned for his personal safety\u2019 as colleagues were rendered unable to remind him to attend classes; and<\/p>\n<p>(v) another colleague directed an emotional outburst towards him when trying to assist him with a computer issue, which caused him to become very \u2018scared\u2019 and \u2018disrespected\u2019 and \u2018adversely affected his reputation\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Court\u2019s decision<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the Court only ruled in favour of Mr. Chan for the Head Injury claim, but against him in respect of his other claims relating to mental injury.<\/p>\n<p>However, in reaching its decision, the Court set out the following test relating verbal behaviour or conduct by an employer or other employees cause mental injury of an employee at the workplace:<\/p>\n<p>English translation of original Chinese judgement[2]:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201c\u2026 in discussions between employers and employees,\u00a0<u>if the employer uses inappropriate words, this canconstitute an \u2018accident,\u2019 but it must<\/u><\/em>\u00a0<em>meet the criteria for \u2018accident,\u2019 in that the discussion\u2019s contents must be \u2018sudden and unfortunate\u2019;\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhether or not the incident can constitute an \u2018accident\u2019 \u2026depends on\u00a0<\/em>the way<em>\u00a0the said suspension or termination or employment or criticism of such took place\u2026\u00a0<u>such conversations\u2019 wording must necessarily be \u2018abnormal, inappropriate\u2019 and must be \u2018sudden and unfortunate<\/u>;\u201d\u00a0<\/em>(underlined is our emphasis).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for employers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Given the judgment in\u00a0<em><u>Chan<\/u><\/em>, where the Court noted that certain inappropriate conduct (which is out of the ordinary) in the workplace can result in \u2018psychiatric trauma\u2019 constituting an injury at work, employers should be aware of their potential duties, obligations and liability in the relevant circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>(1) Employer\u2019s duty of care<\/p>\n<p>Employers owe a general duty of care to ensure the health and safety of its employees at work[3].<\/p>\n<p>In particular, if an employee seems emotionally stressed or vulnerable, the duty requires the employers to avoid causing psychiatric harm to employees, such as giving them more work than they can reasonably handle[4] and to take steps to protect them[5].<\/p>\n<p>If inappropriate behaviour in workplace (whether by an employer directly or by other employees) can give rise to work injury as\u00a0<em><u>Chan<\/u><\/em>\u00a0suggests, it is possible that such incidents may also give rise to breach of this duty of care, which would result in further liability to the employer.<\/p>\n<p>(2) Employer\u2019s obligations<\/p>\n<p>Given the decision in\u00a0<em><u>Chan<\/u><\/em>, there may be cases where an employer will be required to notify the Commissioner for Labour about any \u2018accident\u2019 as it is required to do so under the Employees\u2019 Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282) (\u201c<strong>ECO<\/strong>\u201d), regardless of whether the accident gives rise to compensation liability[6]. Further, the employer may be legally prohibited from dismissing an employee for a certain period of time until after the assessment of any incapacity of the employee<a id=\"_ftnref7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/legal-update-is-stress-an-injury-when-does-psychiatric-trauma-amount-to-a-workplace-injury\/#_ftn7\">[7]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>(3) Employee\u2019s rights<\/p>\n<p>For workplace injuries, employees have a right to compensation as corresponding to their deemed Loss of Earning Capacity (\u201c<strong>LOEC<\/strong>\u201d). The decision in\u00a0<em><u>Chan<\/u><\/em>\u00a0means that it may be possible for an employee to claim LOEC and employees\u2019 compensation for mental injury at work, not only physical injury.<\/p>\n<p>However, for such \u2018psychiatric trauma\u2019 claims, LOEC calculation may be unpredictable. It is noted that for physical injuries, the First Schedule of the ECO has a list of injuries with corresponding LOEC percentages but there is none for \u2018psychiatric trauma\u2019. This may make accurate calculation and prediction of LOEC and compensation amounts in respect of mental injury less certain[8].<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><u>Chan<\/u><\/em>\u00a0shows that mental injury can arise at work in the appropriate circumstances which may give rise to employees\u2019 compensation issues. Employers should be familiar with their potential liability and obligations in this regard and seek legal advice in case of doubt.<\/p>\n<p>Employers may also wish to refer to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.labour.gov.hk\/eng\/osh\/content.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Occupational Safety and Health Branch of the Labour Department<\/a>\u00a0made some practical recommendations to help prevent the occurrence of work-related psychiatric injuries including having regular discussions on improving the working environment and facilities and giving clear instructions about work.<\/p>\n<p>To know more about the details and scope of the employer&#8217;s duties in respect of the health and safety of employees, please see our other article here.<\/p>\n<p>If you have any questions, please contact Russell Bennett or Mark Chiu.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/our-people\/Russell-Bennett\/\">Russell Bennett<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Partner |\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:RussellBennett@tannerdewitt.com\">Email<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/our-people\/mark-chiu\/\">Mark Chiu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Partner |\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:MarkChiu@tannerdewitt.com\">Email<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[1] Chan Man Sau v. \u98a8\u91c7\u4e2d\u5b78\uff08\u6559\u80b2\u8a55\u8b70\u6703\u4e3b\u8fa6\uff09\u6cd5\u5718\u6821\u8463\u6703 [2025] HKDC 1354<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[2] Original Chinese wording:\u00a0<em>\u5728\u50f1\u4e3b\u8207\u50f1\u54e1\u7684\u8ac7\u8a71\u4e2d\uff0c<u>\u50f1\u4e3b\u82e5\u7528\u4e86\u4e0d\u9069\u7576\u7684\u5b57\u773c\uff0c\u53ef\u69cb\u6210 \u201c\u610f\u5916\u201d\uff0c\u4f46\u8981\u7b26\u5408\u201c\u610f\u5916\u201d\u7684\u5b9a\u7fa9\uff0c\u8ac7\u8a71\u7684\u5167\u5bb9\u8981\u662f \u201c\u7a81\u7136\u767c\u751f\u4e14\u4e0d\u5e78<\/u>;<\/em>\u00a0<em>\u201d\u6c7a\u5b9a\u4e8b\u4ef6\u80fd\u5426\u69cb\u6210\u201c\u610f\u5916\u201d\u6642\u2026\u95dc\u9375\u662f\u57f7\u884c\u6216\u8655\u7406\u8a72\u505c\u8077\u3001\u89e3\u50f1\u6216\u6279\u8a55\u4e8b\u4ef6\u7684\u65b9\u5f0f\u2026<u>\u8a72\u8aaa\u8a71\u5fc5\u9808\u8981\u662f\u201c\u4e0d\u4e00\u822c\u3001\u4e0d\u9069\u5b9c\u7684\u201d\uff0c\u9084\u8981\u662f\u201c\u7a81\u7136\u767c\u751f\u4e14\u4e0d\u5e78\u7684\u201d\uff1b\u518d\u8005\uff0c\u6b64\u7b49\u8aaa\u8a71\u9700\u5c0e\u81f4\u8a72\u50f1\u54e1\u53d7\u5230\u5fc3\u7406\u50b7\u5bb3<\/u>\uff1b<\/em>\u00a0(underlined is our emphasis)<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[3] Jerry Chen v Whirlpool (Hong Kong) Ltd [2006] HKCU 11, citing Wilsons &amp; Clyde Coal Company v. English [1938] A.C. 57<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[4] Walker v Northumberland County Council [1995] I.C.R. 702<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[5] Barber v Somerset County Council [2004] I.C.R 457<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[6] Section 15(1A), Employees\u2019 Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282)<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[7] Section 48(1)(a) of the Employees\u2019 Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282)<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">[8] The Court will generally consider \u201c<em>factual evidence as well as the medical evidence,<\/em>\u201d such as that from \u201c<em>lay witnesses, medical documents, and medical experts.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the recent case of\u00a0Chan Man Sau[1]\u00a0(\u201cChan\u201d), the District Court looked at whether \u2018psychiatric trauma\u2019 can be regarded as a workplace injury. We summarise the key points of the decision as to whether and what conduct can cause mental injury to an employee which is capable of constituting a workplace injury and in turn give [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"insight-category":[1121],"insight-month":[1150],"insight-practice-area":[1131],"insight-year":[1147],"class_list":["post-30812","insight-and-news","type-insight-and-news","status-publish","hentry","insight-category-legal-updates-and-insights","insight-month-october","insight-practice-area-employment","insight-year-1147"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/30812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/insight-and-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/30812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31739,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/30812\/revisions\/31739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30812"},{"taxonomy":"insight-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-category?post=30812"},{"taxonomy":"insight-month","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-month?post=30812"},{"taxonomy":"insight-practice-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-practice-area?post=30812"},{"taxonomy":"insight-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-year?post=30812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}