I am employed by NSW RailCorp in their Service Delivery Division. I have worked for RailCorp for nearly six years. About 18 months after I started the job I experienced a stress trigger and developed clinical depression. Prior to this I was well, with no health concerns.
Initially I was scared to talk to my employer as I did not know how they would react. I thought they might hold my depression against me. I was pleasantly surprised by their reaction and in fact, found the staff to be very supportive in particular my Human Resource Manager and Chief Medical Officer.
I discussed some strategies with my managers that would help me cope better in the workplace. Together we worked out some practical solutions to meet my needs.
Firstly I asked for permission to leave meetings and take a break if I feel overwhelmed. My manager agreed to this and documented this as an appropriate action in my performance action plan.
Another strategy we employed was that I could take any constructive criticisms provided by my manager away to process with my psychologist and come back to my manager with a revised response. This ensures that I use feedback in a constructive way that does not impact on my wellbeing.
In addition to this, my employer has been very supportive allowing me to work flexible hours so I can fit in doctor's appointments. Apart from work, I also receive regular support from my general practitioner, a psychiatrist and a psychologist as well as ‘go to’ people at work.
I feel fortunate to be working for an organisation that is understanding, flexible and supportive. This support has helped me remain productive and allowed me to continue to grow and develop in my role. I believe that all managers would benefit from better general awareness and understanding of how mental health conditions affect their workplace. This would allow managers to maintain productivity by encouraging open and honest communication, especially during times of crisis.
I believe that a mental health condition is nothing to be ashamed of. Whether it impacts on you short term, long term or is pre-existing, it is important for an organisation to work with individuals and individual issues and to have an overall understanding and acceptance of mental health conditions.
More information?