Visitor Question

Anxiety After Getting Robbed at Work…

Submitted By: Kristel (Portsmouth, Virginia)

I was robbed in October of last year while working at my job at a hotel. I was only given 3 counseling sessions and was required to go back to work two days afterwards. When coming back to work a coworker was treating me like I was over reacting from the robbery. She was upset she had to work my shift.

A housekeeper also made a comment, “people get robbed everyday”. I told her she didn’t know because she has never been robbed before. She became hostile at me and started arguing with me, at this point I told her to shut up. I was the General Manager of the hotel. She then tried to fight me and was being held back by another house keeper.

I was responding to the fact that another hotel in our chain 30 minutes from my location was also robbed. I was making comments that I didn’t think I could make it through this, and that’s what initiated the argument.

I thought I was okay but reality sunk in when I drove to a dollar tree, parked my car and forgot I parked it on the side of building. I thought someone stole my car. I called the police, my boss, and my father. My father found my car and I broke down crying.

I thought I was okay, but in my life I am having troubles with small stress and anxiety. I am having a hard time dealing with job stress to the point it is affecting my employment. Is my job responsible for providing more counseling for me since this is all from getting robbed while at work? What can I do?

Disclaimer: Our response is not formal legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information provided. Do not rely upon the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site, when deciding the proper course of a legal matter. Always get a personalized case review from a local attorney.

Answer

Dear Kristel,

The law in Virginia defines Robbery as “the taking, or attempt to take property from another under threat of serious bodily injury or death.” Sometimes people confuse theft with Robbery.

A criminal doesn’t actually have to display a weapon to commit the crime of Robbery. If the criminal makes the victim believe her failure to turn over the money or other property will result in her suffering serious bodily injury or death, the crime of Robbery has been committed.

If the incident you were involved in fits into the above definition, then you were indeed a victim of the felony offense of Robbery.

When Robbery occurs the victim is severely traumatized. Unless one has been the victim of a Robbery they will never understand the absolute terror a victim experiences. Being the victim of a Robbery is about as close as a person can come to facing death as there exists.

By any measure the amount of counseling you received is desperately inadequate. Making you return to work after only a few days can only be considered reprehensible.

There are times when a person can take these types of matter into their own hands, and there are times when a Personal Injury Attorney should be consulted. This is one of those times. A Personal Injury Attorney will not charge you for an initial office consultation. Seeing one will definitely be in your best interests.

Learn more here: Workers' Comp After Getting Robbed

The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.

Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.

We wish you the best with your claim,

Published:

4 thoughts on “Anxiety After Getting Robbed at Work…

  1. Anonymous says: says:

    I was just robbed two nights ago. Now I am jumpy. Every time I hear a loud noise. I don’t know what to do. I find myself crying over anything right now that makes me remember. How long will this last?

    My trust is broken. Someone knocked at my door to my apartment but I didn’t trust that it would be safe to open it. We have no peep holes and I wasn’t wanting to go look out my window. Nothing happened at home, so why am I so scared?

  2. Anonymous says:

    Was held up at gunpoint. The gun pointed to my head and told I would be blown away if I didn’t give him all my money. Police report was made. This happened while on my job as a truck driver.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Kristel-

    So sorry to hear you were the victim of a robbery. I too was present during three robberies all at motels/hotels. If you’d like to communicate further please check out my Facebook page, “Workplace Robbery – A Supportive Place for Victims” -Gail

  4. Anonymous says:

    I understand where you are coming from. I was robbed at gunpoint doing a deposit, then the job fired me. Now I am lost… no closure at all. I need help stopping this madness.

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