Richard Johnson
A Manager's Story
Catering & Events National Manager, Hiremaster, Wellington
At the suggestion that someone with an experience of mental illness would be less productive, due to needing the occasional timeout or a little flexibility from their employers, Richard Johnson (left), laughs.
"We could say that about any of the staff and they don't all have a diagnosis of mental illness," he says.
Richard is the manager of Terry Shore (right), who has been diagnosed with asperger's ayndrome and has also experienced heightened stress and anxiety. Terry got a job cleaning and sorting cutlery three days a week at Hiremaster - an events and marquee hire company - through Emerge Supported Employment Trust, and Richard is happy to have him as a staff member.
"There is no issue. Terry is more than capable of doing his job," he says. "He has been here a long time, about three or four years, and [supporting him] hasn't taken up much time. He gets on with his job.
"I think working with Terry has created more awareness among the rest of my staff that there are a lot of people out there who do have some kind of mental illness. I have got a young team and it's good to make them conscious of that," he adds.
Terry, who is also a musician, says that he is grateful to be working and be able to earn money.
"It's really good support, casual hours and it gives me the chance to work on my music," he explains.
Richard has also worked with people who have experienced depression and says that he would be happy to work with people with experience of mental illness in the future. He adds that it is simply a matter of creating a comfortable working environment, where people feel free to speak to their supervisors about any issues they are having.
