I got fired because of my anxiety

[mll98]

I'm 19 and I lost my job in September of last year due to my mental illness. I had a panic attack at work (I struggle with severe anxiety and depression which my boss had known from the beginning) and didn't have the proper medication on me to cope in an emergency. I had been working 40 hours a week, plus study and travel time to and from work so I literally had no time to go to the doctors like I needed to. I worked in child care and as all of the children were asleep inside and I was on my lunch break I figured that the best thing to do would be to go outside, call my mum and try to talk things out and calm down so I could return to work like normal. I was in a pretty severe panic, mainly brought on by a combination of work related things like my boss being extremely unprofessional, leaving me with upwards of 20 children on my own as a trainee, was making me work ridiculous hours without allowing me enough time to get my studies completed, she would tell me to do things a certain way one week and a different way the next which was really confusing as someone that was trying to learn (which was apparently my fault). My mum called my boss just to check up to see if I was okay because she was concerned, only for my boss to then yell at me calling my behaviour inappropriate and that my mum had abused her on the phone (anyone that knows my mum knows that she is one of the kindest and least confrontational people ever) when all she wanted to do was make sure that I was okay. My former boss then went on to completely humiliate me, screaming at me in front of everyone while I was crying, obviously in a panic and was trying so hard to hold myself together (as someone who apparently struggled with anxiety herself, she wasn't so empathetic). She then went on to say I could have the next day off to go the doctor as I explained it was because I didn't have my medication. The next afternoon, she left my a voice mail to tell me I was fired. She had already deleted my work email and I had access to absolutely nothing I had saved. I then received a three page email declaring all of the reasons she was firing me. Most of the reasons were completely false and the rest were twisted to make me look awful. This whole experience has made me feel so insecure about my anxiety and going back into the workforce. Sorry this post is so long.

[Ellie05]

Hi mll98,

That sounds absolutely horrendous, I'm sorry you've had such a negative experience at such a young age. I've had some bad experiences at work and it just shatters your confidence completely, especially if you are someone who suffers from anxiety.

I'm assuming you were employed as a casual employee given your boss was able to terminate your employment immediately but if you were working for them for over 12 months then you may be able to put forward a case for unfair dismissal. In any case it might be worth contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman. If you were a casual employee and working over 38 hours a week (or 8 hours a day) then you'd be entitled to penalty rates, was your employer paying you this? The whole things sounds really dodgy (I don't think the parents of the children at the center would be happy to learn that up to 20 kids were left in the care of one trainee).

Of course it's understandable if this is not of interest and you would prefer to simply put your efforts towards moving forwards. To be honest I think you deserve a little recovery time before getting back out there and it's definitely worth seeing a psychologist if you don't already. They can help give you coping strategies when it comes to difficult times like this as well as when you have panic attacks. In the meantime try and plan some fun and relaxing activities for the next few weeks. Having something to look forward to (even if it's just a movie date with your mum or some friends) can really help.

[mll98]

I hadn't been working there for over a year. I was going to contact Fair Trade anyway but then I decided I just wanted the whole thing to be over because constantly thinking about it was affecting me so much. There were so many dodgy things going on, even brought up to me by other staff members telling me how inappropriate it was and that they didn't want me to think that her actions and behaviour was at all acceptable. I absolutely loved my job and was constantly trying to better myself and my practices, I would stay back to help out the other staff at least a few times a week and I had really close relationships with all of the kids and their parents. There were so many times I was torn between my morals and my job, so many situations that were completely inappropriate, illegal or unsafe that I felt I needed to make the parents aware of but just didn't feel like it was my place to say anything, especially when other staff members who had known some of these parents for years didn't tell them.
The whole thing makes me feel sick, she is a horrible woman who should definitely not be allowed to work with children. I've thought about reporting some of the things but as it was a family friend that got me the job, I've been worried about causing problems that could cost her her job too.

[mll98]

Also, I am seeing a psychologist at the moment which really helps. Unfortunately my parents aren't really able to support my financially so not working is extremely stressful. I've been trying to deal with Centrelink to get help finding work and have some form of income in the meantime just to live off but it has been an absolute nightmare so far. Thanks so much for your reply x

[Ellie05]

I think you can report someone anonymously to the Fair Work Ombudsman but I completely understand where you are coming from in terms of not wanting to ruffle any feathers or let yourself get drawn back into the pain and anxiety of the experience itself.

It sounds like you've been taking all the right steps in seeing a psychologist and getting in touch with Centrelink, although being unemployed is bound to be a massive stress on anyone. Have you been applying for any jobs? I think there are a few sites where you can set up a profile and advertise your services as a babysitter if that's of interest. If you live in Sydney or Melbourne it's also worth signing up to do paid focus groups. It's a good way to get a bit of cash on the side.