No Workers’ Comp for Overworked, Stressed Out Medical Technician

A cardio technician with bipolar disorder claimed the practice she worked for violated an accommodation agreement relieving her of the duty to do 5 stress tests in a row without a break and that she suffered a mental breakdown as a result. She also claimed she was bullied and harassed by a co-worker. The BC WCB and Appeals Tribunal denied the claims finding neither situation to be a “significant workplace stressor.” Having to do consecutive tests was just part of the pressures of working in a cardiology office and the technician hadn’t objected to doing 5 in a row even after the accommodation agreement was in place. And the run-ins with the co-worker were more personality conflict than bullying and harassment. When the court found the rulings reasonable and refused to overturn them, the case reached the Court of Appeal. Result: Appeal dismissed [C.S. v. British Columbia (Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal), 2019 BCCA 406 (CanLII), November 19, 2019].