Driving disability employment for a golden outcome

Co-hosting this year's Driving Disability Employment seminar with JobAccess, our Perth Mint team joined other industry leaders at Crown for the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) to discuss the importance of disability inclusion employment drives, particularly in tight labour markets.

But it’s not just this event which has seen Perth Mint panellists take to the stage to talk about disability in the workplace. Last week, as part of International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), Senior Content Manager Anna Nicole Del-Re, Records Assistant Joshua Ford, Chief Operating Officer Justin Kees, and Chief People and Reputation Officer Jane King highlighted the importance of tapping into the diverse skills and experiences of people with disability. 

Here, we uncover a few of the questions and answers throughout the event.

Q: There’s a lot of misconceptions about people with disability, have you ever encountered any of these in the workplace?

A: “When I come to work, I love to smile and be the happiest person I can be around my peers, but what people might not realise is that on a day-to-day basis I could be really struggling either mentally or physically. For example, I could be in quite a lot of pain with my endometriosis, or my anxiety could be exacerbated on any given day, so people won’t see on the outside that you actually have something going on that day. I really do think that disability is obviously the physical but there’s also the invisible as well. It’s important to highlight that and to remember that it’s both,” said Anna Nicole.

Q: Are you comfortable with discussing your disability at work, why or why not?

A: “I’m comfortable discussing my disabilities, that is Down Syndrome. With others at work, I recognise all human beings are different to one and other. My disability does not mean that I’m less capable or worthy,” said Josh.

Q: What adjustments, if any, has your workplace made to accommodate your needs?

A: “Something I’m really grateful for is that I can work a four-day week. This is life changing for me as I’m pretty fatigued by the end of the week and it means I can have a better work-life balance. I can rest my body, have more time for medical appointments, and it means I can show up to work on a Monday and feel more refreshed,” said Anna Nicole.

Q: What services have you accessed that’s helped you professionally?

A: “The Perth Mint has helped me with the help of Down Syndrome WA,” said Josh. Anna Nicole added, “I believe psychology is a really important thing when it comes to mental illness. I’ve been seeing a psychologist for more than 10 years and […] to be able to talk about your conditions and how you’re feeling, I think it has made a significant impact on helping me manage my anxiety and depression.”

Chief Operating Officer Justin Kees continued the open conversation, “As managers, we do need to open up a bit more, talk to our employees so they can feel that they can talk back at us. I think in the old days it was structured that [people] couldn’t come into our office, but that’s gone. Anybody can come into my office; my door is always open […] and I think it’s important that everybody from the top down and the bottom up have access to everybody and is able to talk to someone about issues that are going on. We’re at work probably 60 per cent of our time, out of our lives, and if we can’t make this like your home then why come to work at all. When you’re at home you share all these things, so please come and share it with us as well so we can make it a better place.”

Chief People and Reputation Officer Jane King went on to speak about the opportunities available across the organisation saying, “The Perth Mint is working with outside agencies who will put forward candidates that we may be able to consider for some of our roles.”

When asked what initiatives The Perth Mint will continue to focus on, Group Manager Organisational and Cultural Development Kristen Potter said, “Our disability inclusion initiatives continue to be a key focus in our 2023 – 2025 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy, along with deliverables for reconciliation, LGBTQA+, gender, mental health, and cultural diversity. Our aim is to achieve greater inclusivity and a culture of belonging, to improve our performance and the wellbeing of our people. Our International Day of People with Disability events have been a great opportunity to encourage storytelling and to celebrate some of our people living with disability.”

To learn more about The Perth Mint’s inclusive culture visit:

www.perthmint.com/about/sustainability/people-and-communities