Dao v Australian Postal Commission

The High Court of Australia considered the appeal in *Dao v Australian Postal Commission*. The dispute concerned the appellant's claim for workers' compensation for a psychiatric injury allegedly sustained as a result of her employment with the respondent. The appellant alleged that the cumulative effect of workplace harassment and discrimination led to her psychiatric condition.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether the appellant's psychiatric injury constituted an "injury" for the purposes of the relevant workers' compensation legislation, specifically whether it was an injury arising out of or in the course of her employment. This involved determining whether the legislative definition of "injury" encompassed psychiatric conditions caused by the cumulative effect of workplace stressors, rather than a single traumatic event.

The Court reasoned that the legislation did not require an injury to be physical in nature, and that psychiatric conditions could fall within the definition of "injury". Furthermore, the Court held that the cumulative effect of workplace harassment and discrimination could constitute an injury arising out of or in the course of employment, provided there was a sufficient causal connection between the employment and the psychiatric condition. The Court applied principles of causation, emphasizing that the employment must be a significant contributing cause of the injury.

The High Court allowed the appeal, finding that the appellant's psychiatric injury was compensable under the relevant legislation.