The Court of Appeal yesterday acted to tighten up guidelines on compensation payments for employees who have suffered from stress.

Employers were not liable, said the judges, if they allowed a willing employee to remain in the job.

Forum Response: National Union of Teachers

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, told ePolitix.com: "We are naturally disappointed that the earlier decisions been reversed. However, the Court of Appeal has set clear standards for employers higher than those currently being met by many local education authorities and school governors.

"We shall be using this decision to encourage the adoption of teacher stress management programmes throughout England and Wales. The law has progressed on employers' obligations in relation to workplace stress. Employers who disregard their responsibilities to teacher workplace stress can take no comfort from this decision."

Forum Response: Unison

A spokesperson for Unison told ePolitix.com: "We would want to study the judgement in detail but our experience is that the individuals have normally been through extreme circumstances before going to court and we are in no doubt that many people's lives and careers have been ruined by work related stress.

"Employers have a duty of care and to carry out risk assessments. Although Unison won the first stress related case before the courts, we would very much prefer employers to prevent such cases in the first place, before the need to go to court arises."

Forum Response: Institute of Directors

Richard Baron, deputy head of the policy unit at the Institute of Directors, told ePolitix.com: "We welcome these judgements which inject a new realism into the area of claims for stress. Employers are not responsible for non-work pressures on employees, and if employees are over-worked they have a responsibility to say so."