There is training available to give staff and employers a better understanding of disability and inclusion at work. It can help you get the support you need and to support other staff members., Disability awareness training, Disability awareness training provides information and tips about disability in the workplace. It can help you and your co-workers: learn about different types of disability create a more supportive workplace communicate and work well together. If you think awareness training might help your workplace, your employer can: contact an organisation that provides training, such as the Australian…, Mental health first aid, Mental health first aid training can help you and your co-workers to support each other through mental health issues at work. The training gives you the knowledge and skills you need to support someone, as well as information about the types of help available. You can direct your employer to the Mental Health First Aid website for more information about training options., Other mental health resources, For tips and information to support mental health in the workplace, go to the Beyond Blue website. For advice about discussing your mental health with your employer, visit Talking about mental health at work ., Deaf awareness and Auslan training, If you’re deaf or have a hearing impairment, your co-workers can take part in deaf awareness training. This can give your workmates knowledge about: the lives and needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing the Deaf community ways to better communicate with you at work. If you use Auslan, your co-workers could also do basic Auslan training. You or your employer can contact JobAccess for…, Financial support for awareness training, Your employer may be able to get financial help through the Employment Assistance Fund for staff to take part in awareness training. That includes training about disability, mental health, deafness and Auslan. You or your employer can contact JobAccess for advice.
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Telling people at work about your mental health is a personal choice. You don’t need to share anything unless there is a safety risk to you or others., Why be open about your mental health?, Telling your employer about your mental health conditions may have benefits, such as: creating trust and open relationships changing workplace attitudes about mental health making it easier to discuss options to help you do your job, such as flexible working arrangements . Your employer is also likely to be more understanding if you become unwell and need time off. They may be more willing to…, When to talk about your mental health, There are only a few situations when you must tell your employer about any mental health concerns. These are: when you’re unable to work or to work safely to keep other people and your co-workers safe. You don’t need to mention specific medical or personal details. In all other cases, it’s your choice if you wish to talk about your mental health. For more on work safety and the law visit Your…, Tips for talking to others about your mental health, Be as honest and open as you feel comfortable – it’s up to you how much you share Explain your situation and how the workplace could help Understand that some people might be shy, uncomfortable or just too busy to talk. For more advice, see Talking about your disability at work . Note: it is illegal for your employer, supervisors or co-workers to make upsetting or offensive comments about mental…, Online resources, Beyond Blue have useful resources and videos on sharing information about a psychosocial disability or mental health condition. Head to Health also have a pros and cons tool to help you weigh up whether to share this information with your employer., Your privacy, There are laws that protect your privacy. If you mention a mental health issue to someone at work, they can’t tell anyone else about it unless you give your consent. For more information, visit our page How your personal information is protected . You can find out more about at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner website.
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Stress in the workplace can affect anyone. There are many things you can do to stay positive at work. It’s important to know you can get support if you need it., What can cause stress?, There are several things that can cause stress, and everyone is different. Common causes of stress at work may include: not getting along with other employees doing the same thing for a long time too much work not enough work time pressures and deadlines changes in procedures or policies not having job security lack of opportunity for promotion. Other things at work that can affect people include…, What are some of the signs?, Some common signs of stress include: doubting yourself feeling upset or confused a fast heart rate headaches forgetting things making mistakes not communicating well changes in mood and getting angry easily drinking more alcohol or using drugs changes in sleep patterns, feeling tired and fatigue., What can you do to stay positive?, If stress is related to your workload, work area or co-workers, arrange to talk to your manager or supervisor about it. Discuss what changes you might need to reduce the stress. For example, getting help with some of your tasks, flexible hours, or moving your workspace. There are some other simple things you can do to help manage stress at work: make sure you take your breaks leave your workplace…, Where can you get help?, If you are feeling stressed you can get support. You can: talk to your supervisor, if you’re comfortable doing so talk to your Disability Employment Services (DES) provider talk to your doctor or mental health clinician check if your workplace has counselling or support services. There are also resources online. You can find resources from mental health organisations, listed on the Australia…
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You and your employer can work together to make changes that can help you to do your job. That might include changing your schedule or tasks, making physical changes to the workplace, or buying equipment. You can apply for funding to cover the cost of some changes.
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Whether to tell people about your disability at work is your choice to make. If you’re starting a new job or already working, you might like to talk to your employer about your disability to get any support you need., When to talk about your disability, You should talk to your employer about your disability if: your disability affects how you might do your job your disability affects you working safely. If your disability doesn’t affect your work or safety, you don’t have to mention it. Deciding whether to talk to others at work about your disability is a personal decision. You should decide based on your own situation. There are some benefits…, Sharing information, When you talk to your employer about your disability, the law says you only need to give information about: how your disability might affect your ability to do the job or work safely medications you take that might affect your ability to work safely. You don’t need to talk about other medical or personal issues not related to your disability., Starting the conversation, If you are ready to talk about your disability at work, you might like to start a conversation with your employer. You and your employer could consider: writing an email to co-workers introducing yourself and saying what support you need writing something for your internal website or newsletter organising disability awareness training for your workplace . These conversations can help promote…, Tips for talking to co-workers, Your co-workers might be curious about your disability and how you manage it. It’s up to you how much to say. Be as honest and open as you feel comfortable with. If people don’t respond well to what you tell them, remember that it’s not your job to change people’s ideas about disability. And some co-workers might be shy or uncomfortable, or worry about saying the wrong thing. If you feel…, What people can’t ask you, Your employer or co-workers can’t ask: for personal details – for example, about how you live general questions about your health or disability – for example, how you got your disability. Note that it is illegal for your employer, supervisors or co-workers to make upsetting or offensive comments about your disability. If you are worried about how people act around you at work, or questions they…, Your privacy, There are laws that protect your privacy. That means if you mention your disability to someone at work, they can’t tell anyone else about it unless you give your permission. For more information, visit How your personal information is protected . You can find out more about the Privacy Act at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner website.
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Australia has laws to make sure that people with disability are treated fairly. However, disability discrimination and harassment sometimes still happen, including in the workplace. Find out what you can do if this happens to you., What is disability discrimination?, Disability discrimination is when a person with disability is treated less fairly than people without disability. People might also discriminate against relatives, friends, carers, co-workers or other people who know a person with disability. In the workplace, discrimination can happen: when you’re applying for a new job while you’re doing your job when you’re applying for a promotion when you…, Examples of discrimination, These are just a few examples of what disability discrimination at work might look like: A person who uses a wheelchair applies for a promotion into a job serving customers. They don’t get the promotion because the manager says customers might feel ‘uncomfortable’ A person who is deaf can’t get the same job training as other staff because the training isn’t in a format they can use A person with…, What is harassment?, Harassment is a type of discrimination. Examples of harassment that are related to disability might be: teasing a person because of their disability asking questions about a person’s disability, when that person said they don’t want them too Making fun of a person with disability through jokes or doing gestures., What to do if you experience discrimination or harassment, If you think you’ve been discriminated against or harassed because of your disability, there are different things you can do., Talking to the other person, In some cases, you might be able to work through the issue by talking to the other person. To do this, you could: ask for a meeting with the person to explain how you feel – take along another person, who is not involved with the issue, can sometimes a good idea write the person a message or email find out what work the other person does – this can sometimes help develop understanding and good…, Raise it with your employer, In the case of an ongoing or serious issue, you can talk to: your supervisor or another senior person your workplace disability contact officer, if there is one someone in the human resources (HR) department. You may also want to check if your organisation has its own complaints process you can follow., Complain to an anti-discrimination organisation, If raising the issue with your employer doesn’t help, you can complain to: the Australian Human Rights Commission Fair Work Commission state and territory anti-discrimination organisations. Below are some ways to do this., Making a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission, You can make a complaint to the Human Rights Commission no matter where you live in Australia. The service is free and independent. Your complaint needs to be in writing. There are different ways you can send it to the Commission: fill in the online complaints form print off the form, fill it in and either post the form to GPO Box 5218, Sydney 2001 or fax it to 02 9284 9611. Your complaint…, , 1300 656 419, ., What happens after you make a complaint, The Commission can only look into your complaint if the law says it can. If they can’t deal with your complaint, they will write to you and explain why. If they look into your complaint, they might contact the other person involved, to get their side of the story. The Commission will then work with you and the other person to find a solution everyone agrees with. This is called conciliation. If…, Other support, The Fair Work Commission website has information on how to deal with different workplace disputes. The Fair Work Commission can also tell you how to make a claim if you think you have unfairly lost your job due to your disability. They can also help if you have experienced discrimination in some other way. There are also organisations in each state and territory that can help with information…
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No matter the industry, safety in the workplace is everyone's responsibility. It’s important to work together to make sure everyone is healthy and safe. , What you must do, Work health and safety law says that as an employee, you must work safely. This applies to all workers, whether they have a disability or not. This means you must: act responsibly take care of yourself and others work together with your employer on work health and safety issues. Each industry has its own work health and safety requirements. To stay on top of this, you can: talk to your employer…, Planning to work from home?, If you are planning to work from home, your employer might want to do a work health and safety check before you start. See our Flexible working arrangements page for more on working from home., What your employer must do, Your employer has responsibilities too. They must: provide a safe and healthy workplace to protect employees from injury or harm provide health and safety training make sure that all employees are covered by workers compensation insurance help employees return to work safely, if they experience a work-related injury. Find out more about workplace injuries, illness and compensation at Workers…, Changes to support employees with disability, For employees with disability, employers must also make any changes to the workplace to make sure they can work safely. For example, employers might: make changes to work areas, like adding ramps or better lighting provide equipment and technology make any changes to processes. Employers should also provide health and safety training and information in formats that are accessible to all employees…
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