Most in Scranton might assume that a workplace injury would have to be something tangible that causes damages that can be empirically verified. Anxiety would not seem to fall into this category. Yet millions suffer from workplace anxiety that can dramatically impact both their ability to do their jobs to the best of their abilities as well as their overall quality of life. Proving that one’s anxiety is due to the stresses that they experience in the workplace might be difficult, yet that does not mean that they do not have a case to be made.
Indeed, tension and stress related to one’s career has been identified as one of the main causes of anxiety in American adults. Per the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the most common causes of workplace anxiety include:
- Dealing with deadlines
- Relationships with coworkers
- Managing staff
- Dealing with interoffice issues
Some might think one can leave these concerns at the workplace, yet that often is not the case. According to the ADAA, more than 75 percent of those who experience stress in the workplace say that it carries over into their personal lives.
The ADA Network correctly points out that those who have been diagnosed as having anxiety are afforded protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The first the right to not have to disclose their disorder to their employers. The second is the right to ask for accommodations in the workplace to help make dealing with their condition easier (although asking may require that they disclose the reasons why). If an employee diagnosed with anxiety asks for an accommodation, an employer is required to provide it as long as doing so does not impose a financial hardship. Employees who trace their anxiety to their jobs may also qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
