What are my legal rights if I'm stressed at work?

If your working conditions are intolerable, your options include:

• A claim for constructive dismissal.
• A personal injury claim against your employer (see our section on personal injury claims). You need evidence of injury or illness, and must be able to demonstrate that it was caused by your employer's neglect, with foreseeable consequences. With stress cases, you must also be able to show you suffered from a clinically recognised psychological injury, eg depression. Remember that each case depends on its merits.

There have been some well-publicised cases, with large payouts, but do not assume that all awards are easily won, or very large.

If, after a long spell away from work, your employer fails to make 'reasonable adjustments' to help you return, you may also be able to take action using the law preventing disability discrimination, which is now contained in the Equality Act 2010.