Examining the workplace rights of mental health consumer workers
Simon Katterl
A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Consumer Academic, University of Melbourne, Centre for Mental Health Nursing, Grattan Street, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
* Correspondence to: katterls@unimelb.edu.au
Australian Health Review 46(5) 550-554 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH21311
Submitted: 22 October 2021 Accepted: 10 March 2022 Published: 12 May 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA.
Abstract
Objective To identify what legal workplace protections are available for the mental health consumer workforce in Australia.
Methods Review the available common law and legislative protections to identify the general workforce rights and employer responsibilities in Australia.
Results Consumer workforce members enjoy protections under employment law, anti-discrimination law, tort law and work health and safety law.
Conclusions Consumer workforce members would benefit from understanding and exercising their rights, whereas employers should have better regard to their obligations under common law and legislation. However, further empirical research is needed to assess whether these legislative and policy frameworks sufficiently protect the rights of consumer workers.
Keywords: consumer leadership, discrimination law, employment law, mental health, occupational health, safety law.
References
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