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Racist, s-xist and profane language contributed to a "toxic and confrontational" workplace, and was the main cause of an employee's psychological injury, a commission has ruled.

The Toll Transport truck driver sought permanent impairment compensation for his major depressive and generalised anxiety disorders, which he claimed were caused by bullying, derogatory language, racial slurs, aggressive behaviour and exclusionary tactics at work.

He told the NSW Personal Injury Commission that:

• a manager ridiculed and humiliated him for wearing a mask and gloves to protect against COVID-19;
• co-workers would joke about people of Indian ethnicity, and say to him "they are all f-cking hopeless, you too, you would not have a clue", which made him feel uncomfortable, excluded and sad; and
• co-workers used words like "c-nt" and "f-ck" on a daily basis...