Latest news

FSU member Andrew Dickinson is happy to talk about being on the Autism Spectrum – he has long been an advocate for mental health and people with disability.

However, when his employer suspended him and directed him to complete a fitness for work assessment, Andrew said he was “flabbergasted”.

Andrew works as an Insurance Claims Consultant for a labour hire call centre operator.

“I really believe that customer service is paramount,” Andrew said.

“Customers phone to get answers and clarity, and of course there is much that new staff do not know, so there are experts who provide support for us.”

As a new employee to the role, Andrew said he had a lot of trouble getting answers to precise and important customer questions.

“As someone with Aspergers Syndrome, I use my obsession with exactitude to get answers, and I pushed.

“Some experts were offended and complained about my behaviour. This caused me to disclose, which was fine with me.”

Andrew described the period that followed as a step forward thanks to his Team Leader, who understood Andrew’s situation and intervened.

“My Team Leader took on more of a support role for my seeking answers.

“Over the following weeks and months, however, the strain this put him under was evident to me […] but he kept bravely protesting that he could handle it.”

Unfortunately, a change in middle management triggered an evaluation of workload, and the situation was referred to HR.

“That’s when things fell apart.”

Incredibly, Andrew was suspended from work and directed to complete a fitness for work assessment. He contacted the FSU immediately for advice.

"I chatted with a lovely lady in my age range who really got my situation, including how difficult it is for us oldies to find any work, let alone something suitable. She also had a young relative on the spectrum.

“The advice I got was detailed and invaluable.”

The FSU wrote to management and argued that there was no reasonable basis for the direction and that the process had been mishandled.

Thanks to our intervention, the direction was reversed and Andrew has since been returned to work with better support and avenues for raising concerns.

The FSU also met with the employer to discuss operational accommodations at a workplace level and outlined how the situation should be managed in the future.

Had he not been an FSU member, Andrew believes that his suspension could have dragged on for weeks and possibly been unpaid.

His advice to other finance workers is to join the union, “especially if you have any condition for which you could be misunderstood or prejudged.

“I have always been in sympathy with the union movement and really should have joined as soon as I passed probation.”

If you need advice or support at work, our union is here to help. Contact our Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378 or email [email protected].