Lived Experience Forum

[Gwynn]

Have you heard of Zooniverse? https://www.zooniverse.org/ You can help scientists classify images and help historians transcribe old writing.

[BlueBay]

No I haven’t. I’ll have to look it up. Thanks @Gwynn 

[Gwynn]

There’s also Digivol , which is Aussie. https://volunteer.ala.org.au/

[Sunshineandsea]

Yeah anxiety gets in the way of that! Sorry I did not realise you had anxiety. Did you know that there was an arts and craft section of the forms? There is even a knitting and crochet thread (pun NOT intended but hope you can have a little giggle at that). You might find that thread fun. @BlueBay 

[Jo-anneJoy]

@BlueBay  what do you know about the pattern of hiring and staff turnover with that employer?  How did you come to be hired in the first place?  Get in touch with the Fair Work ombudsman to discuss your experience.  If you can via the community, do some research to find out how long the employee who was hired to replace you (if that happened) was also dismissed during the agreed upon three month probation - and what happened to the person before you and before them?

One of the skills that a narcissist has is the ability to project onto their 'victim', the belief that they are the one who is defective.  It is called perspecticide.   There is also the matter that in saying to you, "you really should get your mental health sorted etc" that person is crossing a boundary.  Are they a medical practitioner, a psychiatrist, psychologist - someone who is qualified to assess you and make a call like that?  

The passive-aggressive message in that throwaway line, is that caring for your health and not 'soldiering on' by dragging yourself into that workplace (with how many employees?) when you're crook will be frowned upon.  That is at the core of this incident: a machine cannot get sick, a machine doesn't 'choose' to break down. 

You could have a dozen medical certificates from the most expert of health professionals but there is never a cure for employers/management who want to see 'malingering' in every incidence of absenteeism and resent having to provide paid sick leave.  Follow the money.

All the best with harnessing your anger and focusing it into a well-crafted complaint to achieve the outcome that provides you with a validating outcome that helps you to regain your self-worth and confidence.  

[BlueBay]

hi @Sunshineandsea 

yeah i do know of the knitting group and art as well.  i have gone on there before but haven't for a while.  i have stopped all my craft/knitting stuff as i have no motivation to keep going.

hi @Jo-anneJoy bit of background reg. this job

I did work at this pharmacy about 7 yrs ago with a previous pharmacist/owner.  He was okay but I resigned because he cut my hours back and we couldn't survive; so I had a job offer from a friend who works in a different pharmacy close to home.  I ended up working there for about 6 years and then the owner sold the store and the new owner didn't want all staff so i was made redundant 4 days before Christmas by phone!! yep you read right.  I did get paid redundancy payout which i was able to stay home for 4 months.  Also a few weeks before that i had lost my mother in law which was really difficult.  

that's when i went back to the old pharmacy who now has a new owner as a part time shop assistant.  Yes, staff DO NOT stay and the reason i feel is because of the store manager.  she is definitely a narcissist; she is loud over the top, will hear what you say to a customer and then talk right over you to the customer.  she is a real pain.  but she has been there for 12 yrs and both previous and current owner/pharmacist think she is amazing because she likes to tell them how much work she can get done.  

For eg.  a lady who worked in the pharmacy for 10 yrs resigned as she was going interstate.  she gave plenty of notice and the pharmacist/owner and manager DID NOT talk to her for the last 2 weeks.  No card or gift, no farewell.  It was disgusting how she was treated after all the work she put in, over and beyond what she had to do.

I refuse to walk into that pharmacy or area around it.  I get very anxious if i see the manager (at times at local supermarket) i try to avoid her.

So yes the staff turnover there is regular and terrible.  I just looked at Fair Works and I don't think i can do anything.  because if it is a store with 15 staff or less I can't do anything; and i haven't been there for 6 months.  He got rid of me a week before 3 month trial, made me say yes to all these extra hours because he was 'short staffed' and i said yes. 

[Jo-anneJoy]

You certainly have received shabby treatment from employers @BlueBay   I have avoided working for small businesses as they tend to push the "we're just like a family" line which translates into "we expect total loyalty from you and don't even THINK about claiming overtime".

Sadly indentured servitude is still a thing in the 'lucky country'.  You certainly have been snake-bit by that experience so let's focus on drawing out the poison and upskilling your

self-care so those types will cross the street to avoid you, ok.

As this anxiety/avoidance is presenting a barrier and I do have lived experience with panic-anxiety/situation avoidance/agoraphobia, I will share a couple of resources that are tickety-boo imo.

Firstly, there is a very helpful online resource developed by Drew Linsalata who has done podcasts - search for "the anxious truth".  

Secondly, on Facebook and Instagram is a wonderful psychologist, Molly Davis, who does cartoon memes about personal boundaries (boundaried bootcamp) and her style is so light and compassionate. 

Hope those resources are of benefit to you and others in this forum.

Take care.

[BlueBay]

Good news maybe ?? @Jo-anneJoy @Sunshineandsea @Gwynn 

After emailing Legal Aid I received a phone call this afternoon.  I have a solicitor calling me tomorrow to discuss my issue.

i am not sure how it will go but i will let you all know.

[Gwynn]

I'm so glad you made the call - hopefully there will be a good resolution for you, even just being heard can help so much.

[BlueBay]

thanks @Gwynn xxx