A teacher who was injured and lost consciousness when a pupil threw a laptop at her head was awarded a five-figure settlement, union figures show.
The payout was among cases in which teachers were awarded settlements over incidents such as injuries or discrimination in the workplace last year.
The NASUWT teaching union secured nearly £15.2 million in compensation for its members last year.
The figures were released ahead of the union’s two-day annual conference in Liverpool, which starts on Friday.
Teachers win compensation
In one case, a teacher was awarded a six-figure settlement after he was hit by a car while directing traffic in a school car park.
He suffered a fractured heel bone, which required surgery, when he was thrown over the car bonnet and hit the ground.
The NASUWT also supported a pregnant teacher with an employment tribunal claim for breaches of the pregnancy/maternity provisions of the Equality Act 2010.
The employer’s treatment of the woman was mishandled from the time she advised it of her pregnancy, the union said.
The union also helped a teacher to secure a five-figure settlement after his employer was unsupportive when he requested time off for a family emergency.
The union member had worked at his school for 30 years and had only ever had three days off sick.
He was later warned of the risk of redundancy through a restructure that had not been announced at the time he made his request, the union said.
Employers’ duty of care
Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “If all employers took seriously their duty of care and legal responsibilities to their employees, we would not be forced to pursue legal remedies to get redress for members.
“Behind every successfully concluded case is a teacher who has suffered months, and in some cases years, of mental distress and anxiety.
“Some members are no longer able to return to teaching due to the physical injuries they have sustained or the psychological impact of the treatment they have experienced.
“We will not hesitate to pursue justice and redress for members where they are injured, made ill or suffer unfair and discriminatory treatment at work.”
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