The Supreme Court Upholds Work Accident Status for Supermarket Worker’s Suicide, Highlighting Importance of Addressing Psychosocial Risks in the Workplace

The Supreme Court has ruled that the suicide of a supermarket chain worker in Cantabria in April 2021 was a work accident. This decision upheld a ruling by the Superior Court of Justice of Cantabria, which had classified the worker’s suicide as a work accident and ordered compensation and pensions to be paid to his family.

The Social Chamber had rejected an appeal filed by the company against this decision. The ruling highlighted the lack of evaluation of psychosocial risks in the workplace and the company’s failure to implement preventative measures to address these risks, which were deemed to be contributing factors to the suicide.

The employee had faced workplace harassment complaints, leading to his transfer to a different location within the supermarket chain. He had expressed concern about potential legal consequences related to the harassment complaint before his death, indicating a clear link between the work environment and his decision to take his own life.

Despite the company’s argument that the death was due to a common illness rather than a work accident, the Supreme Court found that the circumstances leading up to the suicide were directly related to workplace issues. The ruling distinguished this case from a similar case involving a bank director in Tenerife, where factors like familial and work-related stressors were found to have contributed equally towards death.

In conclusion, this Supreme Court decision highlights that employers must recognize and address workplace-related mental health issues and take necessary steps to prevent situations that can lead to tragic outcomes like suicide.