Workplace Stress

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that a convenience store employee who first witnessed a shooting at his workplace and was then robbed at gunpoint six days later qualifies for workers’ compensation benefits even though he did not begin experiencing trauma-related symptoms until a year later. The court found that the unexpected and traumatic events caused unusual strain on the employee. (Brown v. Quick Trip Corp., Supreme Court of Iowa, No. 3/00-0868, 2002)