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Failing to let an employee comprehensively respond to performance concerns she considered "unjustified" was unreasonable, a commission has ruled in upholding her psychological injury claim.

The Rentokil Initial banking and allocation officer sought workers' compensation for depression and anxiety allegedly caused by her team leader's bullying and harassment, but the employer denied liability on the basis her injury was the result of reasonable action with respect to performance appraisal.

Before the NSW Personal Injury Commission, the employee claimed the team leader regularly "picked on" her, criticised her work, accused her of making mistakes, and communicated with her in an "abrupt, direct and threatening" manner.

She said he ignored her regular requests to set out her alleged mistakes so she could respond to and explain them...