BC decision outlines what makes a work-related mental health claim compensable, and what doesn't
A recent decision by the BC Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal (WCAT) offers a detailed look at when work-related stress and burnout rises to the level of a compensable mental disorder – and when it doesn't.
In A2202387 (Re), 2025 CanLII 9894 (BC WCAT), a medical laboratory assistant claimed that chronic understaffing and workload pressure led to a panic attack at work.
Although the WCAT acknowledged the worker faced stress and high workloads, it denied the claim due to the absence of a formal DSM diagnosis, and concluded her workload did not exceed typical industry job demands in intensity or duration.
To be compensable under section 135 of BC's Workers Compensation Act, a mental disorder must be diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist, and be either a reaction to a traumatic event or predominantly caused by significant work-related stressors.
In this case, the worker had not received a DSM-based diagnosis from a qualified professional. This procedural hurdle is a critical threshold in mental health claims, explains Bonnie-Louise Lussier, lawyer with KSW Lawyers in Vancouver.
However, Lussier adds that that doesn’t mean employers get a free pass if there’s no diagnosis.
“From a practical standpoint, for employers, I think any employee that's coming to you and speaking about mental distress and burnout needs to be taken...
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