New Zealand / Politics

Greens want ACC to broaden criteria for workplace mental injury claims

11:32 am on 17 July 2022

The Green Party is calling for the scope of workplace mental injuries covered by the Accident Compensation Corporation to be widened.

Photo: 123RF

Greens ACC spokesperson Jan Logie said the legislation needed to be reviewed and extended so as not to rely on a single event.

It comes after ACC has been forced to compensate one of its own former staffers for the depression and anxiety she suffered from being bullied on the job.

"It's not often that that's from a single event, and to take it back to finding that one single event that caused the mental injury means that people are delayed access to support and treatment."

It was concerning a staff member had to go to court to get cover, Logie said.

"That to me points to a culture of disentitlement in ACC which means that people are unfairly having their legitimate claims denied."

The agency covered 81 work related mental injury claims last year.