We felt very privileged to be able to share some of our knowledge with Dress for Success clients earlier this month. Our seminar “The A, B and C of Your Rights at Work: What to Know and Where to Go” was delivered as part of the Job Support Group that Dress For Success Sydney runs.
Our morning mission was to empower the attendees around their workplace rights, particularly in relation to pay and leave entitlements, discrimination, bullying and harassment. We also wanted to enforce that they deserve to be treated lawfully and to help guide them through the best ways to deal with workplace issues that they may face now, or in the future.
THE WORKPLACE Principal Solicitor, Hannah Ellis, delivering her seminar "The A, B and C of Your Rights at Work: What to Know and Where to Go" to Dress for Success attendees. Photography / Lyn Vicary
What we learnt
As a lawyer and small business owner, it’s often hard to find time to give back. Whilst we were presenting the session to share our knowledge, we also learned a lot from the attendees.
1 Don’t make excuses
I spoke with an attendee who migrated to Australia from Bosnia about a year ago. She is a qualified Pilates teacher in Bosnia but hasn’t been able to find work and felt that her English skills were to blame. I immediately told her how much I love Pilates and how little I’ve been doing it of late, blaming work and family commitments. Without hesitation (and in perfect English) she said straight back: “You need to stop making excuses”. And there I had it. Straight talking, honest feedback that was 100% correct regarding not only my slack/non-existent exercise regime - but life and business more generally. Get out there and do it. And that includes giving back.
2 Articulate outcomes
Some of the attendees to whom we spoke who were currently in employment raised multiple different workplace problems and issues. Some of these were big issues from a legal viewpoint but some of the human, rather than legal issues were just as important. What this reminded us of is the importance of being able to articulate personal outcomes. We are all very good at articulating problems but knowing what you want from a situation is just as important. Whilst we acknowledge that desired outcomes might not always be entirely achievable, understanding what drives your client and what their version of happiness is, should always come first.
3 You can make a difference
This is nothing new. But our experience at Dress for Success was a real life example of the difference two people can make.
4 The non dollar value of work
We get that apart from the obvious economic benefits of work, being in a job provides women (and men) with a sense of purpose and self-esteem. Promoting access to job opportunities for everyone is crucial and the work that Dress for Success does in this area is outstanding.
In our industry, we see how hard it can be, even for large and well-resourced businesses, to understand the myriad of workplace laws. We were so pleased to have the opportunity to share some of our knowledge and experience with the Dress for Success clients to hopefully empower them in their working lives.
If you would like to learn more about we do, contact THE WORKPLACE.
The copyright in this blog is owned by The Workplace – Employment Lawyers Pty Ltd. The content is general information only and is not intended to constitute, or be relied upon as, legal advice. The use of this blog by any person or company does not create any solicitor-client relationship between the person or company and The Workplace – Employment Lawyers Pty Ltd.