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AMAA: Work Stress
Work stress is different for everyone, be it the woes of casual employment, job interview anxiety or social barriers to employment/education. It's normal to feel stressed about this stuff; it's also important to let someone know if it's starting to get you down. This month we're going to share our experiences with a guest and I'll be sharing handy resources if you find yourself stressed about employment.
This topic covers a broad range of experience, and we are here for all of it, from how to cope with financial stress to building your confidence and self-esteem. You might have experienced work stress in the past, or maybe you're feeling it now. You aren't alone, and you don't have to struggle in silence - that's why we're inviting a guest to chat about it!
This will be our guests second time joining the community for a live chat. Kai is a Youth Ambassador of ReachOut and is looking forward to answering your questions. Introducing:
"I'm Kai, 22, Queer, Non-Binary person, Photography and film student, hair dye enthusiast and cat lover. I spent two years unemployed and faced hundreds of rejection emails each week, I was facing a tough situation financially, when I finally caught a break and secured a casual job"
We're looking forward to having this discussion, and you can submit your questions below.
We’ll be here on the 30th of September, answering your questions between 7-9 pm! In the meantime, you can check out all our work and money content here.
Mental health is most important part in your life. You should take care of it. If you want to improve your mental health you should go for life coaching. Last year when i was in depression and this is the main reason of my mental health someone suggest me for life coaching to feel free from depression and improve mental health as well. Life coach helps you to feel free from depression and improve 1 your mental stability. He should deal with your mental health and improve this.
Before I sign off for the evening here are some resources for those of you who are doing it tough at the moment. You're not alone and we are here to listen 👭
If you are experiencing financial stress crisis support available:
- Find emergency relief services that can help with food, bills and financial advocacy here.
- Contact a social worker on the Centrelink Employment Services Line — Call 132 850 or visit a Services Australia customer service centre.
- The unemployed workers union provides information on your welfare rights here.
- The national debt helpline can assist you to negotiate payment plans with service providers and link you in with more support here.
- HeadsUp and Beyond Blue have put together this resource called "taking care of yourself after losing work."
If talking about work stress has made you feel distressed we encourage you to tell someone you trust or talk to a counsellor:
Lifeline: 13 11 13
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Thankyou all so much for having me! I really enjoyed tonights discussion! I hope you all have a relaxing evening
Thank you so much for speaking tonight @KaiRoe 🙂 I've found hearing about your experiences and advice really helpful and I'm sure others will too ❤️
Thanks @Bre-RO for all the useful links and advice too! 🙂
And thanks @WheresMySquishy for sharing your experience and being so supportive as usual 🙂
Just had to jump in @KaiRoe and @Bre-RO and say how much I loved reading through this chat- I think I reacted to pretty much every post haha
There's some absolute gold in here, and this is such a great read for anyone- but especially anyone who's currently in the trenches job hunting, getting ready to graduate, or working in a job that they're not loving... I love all of the practical advice in here too about other places you can go to find out about your rights at work/ awards/ tax- navigating the workplace can be so hard when you're starting out, and don't have anywhere to ask those questions
@KaiRoe I especially love your advice about how to know when it may be time to move on from a job you're miserable in- I also worked night shifts while I was at uni, and at one point I was going to sleep at 3am then trying to get through classes the next day- it was brutal, and I'm so glad I don't have to do that any more!
I also really liked what you wrote about working in the disability sector and helping clients to achieve the goals that are important for them- I also worked in the disablity sector for many years, and found it such person centred and rewarding work - it sounds like people you work with, and the disablity sector in general, is really lucky to have you! 😀
Thanks so much for answering our questions @KaiRoe! All the best with your job!
I think we covered a lot tonight!
Work stress is a big topic though, so if you think you need to chat about it more try headspaces work and money support service here.
A big thank you to the community members who sent questions about things like taxes, award rates, workplace rights and contracts. These questions are best answered by the experts in the field who have put together easy to navigate information. Here is a list of places to get all your work-related questions answered:
- Head over to MoneySmart - they explain contracts, taxes, super, pay here.
- For those of you who asked Safe work provides up to date information on all your employee rights. You have a right to be treated fairly at work. Behaviour such as bullying is unacceptable, read more about anti-bullying here.
- Read more about your rights at work here. If you experience bullying you should consider speaking to Fair Work, read about the bullying complaints process here.
@KaiRoe do you have any tips for wrapping your head around taxes/super/rights etc?
I found out alot by looking at the fair work website as well as the ATO website, I still find taxes confusing and still am shocked every year when it comes time to fill in my tax return. But yeah, my main advice for this is to check out both the ATO and fairwork websites as they have a bunch of valuable infomation on this
I also find taxes confusing. Our family accountant was able to help me with my tax return though.
Im super proud of the work that I do now, i had no expereince in the disabilty sector when I was hired but im super proud of myself for learning quickly and doing my absolute best to help my clients live fulfilling lives whatever that means for them
It must have been a wonderful feeling to step into that role and learn so much. On the other side of work stress is work satisfaction!
We are approaching the end of our chat tonight and only have a few more questions. I like this question - as hard as it is being unemployed there are times that call for a big change. @KaiRoe@KaiRoe our next question is
What are some signs that a job isn't right for you and how do you know when it's time to quit?
If you begin to wake up each day for work and immediately consider calling in sick, or even during your shift you begin to think “I should call in sick tomorrow” that's a pretty big sign it's time to move on. If you find that the demands of the job are becoming too much or you're seriously overwhelmed that's another sign. But overall, if you find that your job is something that you absolutely hate and really are not enjoying, it's maybe time to move on. As an example, I worked as a nightfill packer for a supermarket for a little while, and the shifts often finished anywhere between 2 and 3am, I was able to handle it for a while but the day I found myself in a compulsory uni class after just getting off work 5 hours ago i knew it was time to quit that job.
I don't think I would have been able to do that job either @KaiRoe. I need a lot of sleep just to function in my current role.
It sounds like you made the right choice @KaiRoe sometimes we have to put our health first. It can be really hard to quit if you don't have another job to go to so it's worth chatting with your trusted friends and family. Having a plan in place before you quit can help in the long run!
There are times where you face dilemmas regarding rights and responsibilities at work. The best place to get all the facts are official government websites like job access. This page is all about disclosing disability to an employer - definitely worth checking out. What are your thoughts @KaiRoe
What do you do if you have a disability/chronic condition and your employer requires that you declare it but it's really personal/embarrassing? Alternatively, what do you do if you need extra support with this but you're too ashamed to ask for help?
Ooh I have a question to add to that if that's okay? What do you do if you think you might need support but you don't know what type?
Hi! I say have a chat with your friends, family and manager, your friends and family know you well and may be helpful in helping you work out what support you may need, and talking to your manager allows them to let you know what support they can offer you in the workplace