Natasha Bita is developing a fine sense of how to make those who are not in on the various lurks she uncovers very angry.

I'll just take it as read that the Judgements are accurately reflected in Natasha's story.   An average $250,000 payout for mental stress! 

Stressed-out public servants rack up compo payments for mental stress

Government insurer Comcare has been forced to pay compo to more than a dozen public servants who won court appeals in the past year.

They include a Tax Office data analyst compensated for "psychological injury'' after fighting with a colleague over who should drink a cup of coffee.

An Austrade auditor won stress compo after her manager told her that clients had trouble comprehending her poor English.

And a Centrelink staffer who confessed she could not deal with 70 per cent of public inquiries was compensated for "adjustment disorder'', after she complained of clients' abuse and colleagues' "dirty looks''.

Mental stress now accounts for at least one in every 10 compensation claims across the public service, with payouts averaging $251,000.

That's better than most Division Two Lotto payouts.