Tax Office Employee Wins Bullying Claim

A former employee of the Australian Taxation Office has succeeded in a bullying claim before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and will now receive a payout. 

Ms Dimitra Michalopoulos, who was employed by the ATO's information technology section, claimed that she was being bullied and harassed. Her managers raised performance issues, and Ms Michalopoulos became stressed and struggled with anxiety. She complained to her managers, but no action was taken to address the allegations. She was eventually certified unfit for work. 

The tribunal member found Ms Michalopoulos had suffered an injury in the form of an adjustment disorder, and criticised the ATO's failure to document the meetings which it claimed took place to address the bullying claims. 

The member also criticised the "apparent and striking similaries" between the evidence of two ATO managers, noting that it would have been preferable for the managers to sit down and make a common assessment and then document it.

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