Workaholic Syndrome: Law and Psychology Explore the Far Reach of the Egg Shell Doctrine

Abstract

For an undertaking an analysis of the implication of stress in the workplace, this article requires a four-part approach. Specifically, Part II explores how workplace stress, commonly known as work-induced stress; coupled with trauma, adaptive responses, and latent psychological conditions trigger workaholic syndrome thereby creating a dysfunctional psychological and physical impairment to the body. This section also outlines how stress activates components in the brain to create what psychologists are now referring to as an injury to the brain. Part III of this article describes the evolution of the eggshell doctrine from inception to the most recent conception, which is to consider psychological injuries as bodily injuries in some jurisdictions. Part IV defines how tribunals treat mental or psychological harms similar to bodily injuries when psychological injuries are considered in tort cases, worker\u27s compensation cases, and criminal cases. Part V combines the assessments of progressive psychologists, the eggshell doctrine precedent, and the pattern of prior adjudication to support the conclusion that the far reach of the eggshell doctrine extends and takes into account the effects of workaholic syndrome brought on by workplace stress