In our Staff Spotlight series, we take a look at key members of our team and find out about their area of expertise.
Today we meet Jonathan Miles, who left the Army in 2018 and is now a Paralegal in our Psychiatric Injury department. Jonathan has kindly taken the time to answer some questions regarding Psychiatric Injury in a military environment.
Name
Jonathan Miles
Job title
Paralegal – Psychiatric Injury Department
Personal background
“I did 14 years’ service in the British Army as a Combat Medical Technician with the Royal Army Medical Corps, deployed on Op Herrick, Op Telic and Op Toral. I left in in 2018 as a Sergeant.”
What is a Psychiatric Injury claim?
Psychiatric Injury claims made by Military personnel can relate to workplace stress. Common claims related to stress in the workplace include:
- Workplace Bullying: Physical or verbal abuse, being belittled, excluded, or subjected to malicious pranks, aggressive behaviour, or passive-aggressive treatment.
- Harassment: Threats, physical or verbal assault, sexual harassment, or attacks based on protected characteristics (e.g., race, gender). This can overlap with workplace bullying.
- Inadequate Training: Being expected to perform a job without sufficient training can lead to undue pressure and stress, particularly in demanding military roles.
- Excessive Workload: Being assigned more tasks than one person can reasonably handle, affecting both professional and personal life.
- Denial of Rights: Denial of basic rights such as toilet or lunch breaks, refusal to allow time off for medical appointments, or being forced to stay after hours without justification.
- Unfair Policies: Unfair or selective application of rules, unreasonable demands, or being singled out to perform tasks beyond your capacity.
- Neglect of Physical or Mental Health: When an employer is aware of an existing mental health condition but fails to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the individual’s needs.
If your employer has not met their legal duty to safeguard your mental health, and you’ve suffered as a result, you may be entitled to pursue compensation.
Most commonly asked question about legal claims relating to your field
“Will this cost me anything?”
Answer: No, if we can take up your claim we can offer to take up your claim on a “No-Win, No-Fee” basis.
Debunking a common myth about the claims process
“Do I have to leave my job to make this claim?”
Answer: No. Leaving your job is not a prerequisite to making a stress at work claim.
Further reading
Military legal advice and support – Oakwood Solicitors
Staff Spotlight – Liam Hill
Staff Spotlight – Christina Taylor
Causes and signs of stress – ACAS
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you.
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