Pursuing a Psychological WorkCover claim Psychological injuries or mental health claims now account for almost 20% of all new Workcover claims. In principle there is no difference between suffering a physical injury at work or a psychological injury at work. Our client, Matt Cocks, was a victim of bullying and harassment at Victoria Police – by his own colleagues. Matt’s story with Victoria Police Former Victoria Police officer Matthew Cocks had been a career policeman, working his way up through the ranks over more than 30 years. That’s before a series of unfortunate events ended his dream job. His exit centred around serious allegations of bullying brought against his superiors – and he’s not alone in his concerns. In a statement of claim lodged with the County Court of Victoria, Victoria Police was accused of no less than 26 breaches of its duty of care amounting to what was described as a ‘police tort’. Among those complaints were allegations his superiors made him work excessive hours and then made complaints about his performance. Matt, who had risen to the rank of Detective Sergeant, claimed he was subjected to humiliation, harassment, ostracism and micro-managed by two senior officers. Furthermore, our client claimed he had not been offered any counselling by the force and had complaints about his own mental health dismissed. It was the late 80s when Matt, aged just 20, decided he wanted to serve the Victorian community and become a police officer. But by 2019 he had started to feel the pinch under increasing pressure and dwindling support. He took three months off on sick leave, but when he returned, force command refused to return him his gun and he was placed on administrative duties for the next seven months. ‘I thought I’d take some mental health leave to clear my thoughts and they didn’t let me come back operationally or run a crew when I came back,’ Matt said. ‘They were that concerned for my welfare they put me in an office downstairs and no-one came to see me.’ Matt said he believed his former employer was ‘still living in the 1970s’ when it came to staff welfare. However, recently, Matt received a confidential settlement thanks to the help of Arnold Thomas & Becker. ‘I am happy to have closed this chapter with VicPol and feel that justice has been served,’ he said. ‘I can now move forward with my life – I will focus on spending time with my wife and family and travelling Australia in our van.’ Pursuing a WorkCover claim Matt’s lawyer, Arnold Thomas & Becker’s Shalyn Mathew, said the former officer’s allegations appeared to show the culture at Victoria Police was ‘quite rife’ with bullying. At present, Arnold Thomas & Becker is pursuing at least 20 matters against Victoria Police for psychological injuries caused by harassment and/or bullying at work. ‘All of these allegations appear to show that the culture at Victoria Police is quite rife with this kind of behaviour, and particularly among senior staff members,’ she said. ‘No one should feel victimised at work. We hope that Victoria Police look at their culture and processes and make real change in this space.’ ‘We are pleased with the result of the settlement for Matt. It gives him closure as well as justice which will help him heal from this experience,’ she said. If you’ve been bullied or harassed at work, visit our Psychological Claims page for more information. Contact us We know that suffering an injury at work can have a catastrophic effect on your health, emotional well-being, quality of life and financial security. We also know that dealing with large government agencies can be challenging, which is not what you need when you should be focusing on your recovery. With Arnold Thomas & Becker WorkCover lawyers on your side, you can be sure you will get the maximum compensation you are entitled to. Let us eliminate the stress and frustration while you get better. To speak to a lawyer today, call us on 1300 333 300.