Court Rules to Investigate Causal Link Between Workplace Humiliation and Fibromyalgia
A department manager at the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) has successfully argued that a specific incident of workplace humiliation contributed to her mental health decline and fibromyalgia. The court has ordered a medical examination to determine the causal link.
The Regional Labor Court in Tel Aviv recently ruled that a customer service department manager at the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) proved the existence of a "special event" that may justify recognizing a mental impairment and fibromyalgia syndrome as a work-related injury. Judge Dafna Hasson-Zacharia accepted her claim that she was humiliated in front of employees and clients, and ordered the appointment of medical experts to examine the causal link between the event and her medical condition.
The plaintiff had worked at the National Insurance Institute for many years and was appointed manager of the customer service department in 2014. She enjoyed great professional esteem, and her department was recognized as an outstanding unit under her management. However, she claimed that with the arrival of a new branch manager in 2019, the attitude toward her changed dramatically; she alleged public criticism, the revocation of her authorizations, and being excluded from meetings within her area of responsibility.
The crisis reached its peak in June 2020. During public reception hours, an employee bypassed the plaintiff to seek assistance from another supervisor. The branch manager and the human resources manager then intervened, managing the situation while completely ignoring the plaintiff in front of staff and clients. In her lawsuit filed in April 2023, she stated that this event was the "straw that broke the camel's back," leading to insomnia, crying spells, dizziness, and body aches, eventually resulting in her resignation from the managerial position.
The National Insurance Institute argued that no "special event" occurred, characterizing the situation as ongoing tension that does not qualify as a work-related injury. They further noted that the plaintiff continued working that day and only sought medical treatment two months later. However, Judge Hasson-Zacharia ruled the plaintiff's testimony to be "credible, consistent, and coherent." She determined that the event went beyond a "routine hallway conversation" and constituted a deliberate undermining of the plaintiff's professional status.
The court emphasized that case law allows for the recognition of a special event even against a background of ongoing tension when an exceptional incident can be isolated. Consequently, the court ordered the appointment of medical experts in psychiatry and rheumatology to provide an opinion on the causal link between the event and her condition.
