Regaining your confidence after workplace bullying or discrimination
Grace Jennings-Edquist (ABC Every Day)
Distress, anxiety, work avoidance, lowered productivity, and taking more sick days: Workplace bullying and discrimination can have a significant impact on employees' mental health.
Some victims can even experience trauma that lasts well beyond the job itself, according to north Brisbane-based psychologist Rachel Hannam.
We asked Dr Hannam and two other experts how to move on after experiencing bullying or discrimination in a previous role.
Disconnect from the perpetrators
The first thing to do is look after yourself — and that means making sure you're out of the situation where the negative experience occurred, says Megumi Miki, a Melbourne-based leadership and culture consultant, speaker and author.
"I've heard of situations where people were in a bullying situation, for example, but afterwards [in a new role] they still had that interactions with those people," Ms Miki says.
"That makes the recovery very, very difficult.
"Even seeing them in the office, you get that little feeling in the tummy."
Wherever possible, she recommends prioritising your safety and removing yourself from contact with the perpetrators.
If you need help with a workplace matter, call 1800 238 622 or gethelp@workersfirst.com.au