Topic Tuesday // Employment and Mental Health // Tues 8th June, 7:00-8:30PM AEST

@Zoe7 Lots of helping professions there, the women's shelter sounds like a good workplace environment with the flexibility. Isn't it interesting that you can have such different expeirences of supportive workplaces from job to job, and more so industry to industry

ok 1a few years in Army (square peg) then a few years in govt as clerk then a lot of laboring factory jobs then got a trade and engineering and mining industry @Ultravox

Having that support from your workplaces when you first started to seek help for your mental health sounds like it was really important for recovery @Ultravox. It’s amazing that a workplace can facilitate or undermine wellbeing, and how we are supported during a time when we might need more adjustments is so important.

You also spoke a lot about stigmatizing language in the mental health sector, which makes it really hard for team members to feel safe to disclose lived experience or caring experiences. Disclosure is a big topic and I look forward to exploring this more tonight.

I might answer these ones too!

a) What industries have you worked in before? I started my employment journey working at local sporting clubs, bakeries and retail. I then moved to the construction industry (including doing waterproofing, demo and office management), then landed in the mental health sector as a peer worker.

b) What has been your experience in the workplace when living with a mental health concern?

I have had really mixed experiences. My mental health really went down hill around the same time I was in the construction industry and unfortunately at the time it wasn’t a workplace where being open about lived experience was a safe decision. I had extended periods of time off work, and found it hard to get through the work day. When my wellbeing improved, I struggled to get back into the workforce.

Later in my employment journey in the mental health sector, I have had some really supportive workplaces who understood and valued lived experience where I have been really supported to take time if I needed it, or to reduce my hours to seek professional support. I’ve slowly built up from 2 days a week to full time work as my wellbeing improved. All in all, my employment journey has been a mixed bag of positive and not so positive workplace experiences

@Daisydreamer There was a distinct lack of knowledge, empathy and management skills from my previous Principal. Unfortnately it made my return to work near impossible so I requested a move and could not be happier where I have landed ...in the end it was her loss.

1 b absenteeism etc as said already, but the one time I remember saying was depressed, ended up with lots of unpaid time off and got sacked basically @Ultravox

Hi Shaz51, I hope that he now has a correct diagnosis. It can take several years for many people to get a correct diagnosis of Bipolar. It is a very treatable mental illness with the right support and many people with the condition live productive and good lives.

@Ultravox, @Daisydreamer

he has also been stay at home dad, sandblasting jobs, mowing ,aged care etc

definitely not where have been last 14 years or so , ie mining and fifo, they talk up how they are supportive, but if you say anything you wont work again @Daisydreamer I suppose govt may have been in issue was ever raised or indentified