Supporting Sheree to a better balance

For many, finding the balance between work and home life can be difficult to manage.

For over 2 and a half million Australians that provide some level of care for their families, finding a job that fits can be incredibly important.

For Sheree, whose daughter has Multiple Sclerosis, finding the right job was made more difficult by her ongoing back issues.

Sheree was working a retail job that suited her family life, however, the physical nature of the work exacerbated her back condition to the point of consistent headaches and was impacting her mental health.

Despite the physical challenges of the job, Sheree had stuck with it - worried that another workplace wouldn’t be as supportive of her need to take time to care for her daughter.

Sheree relayed all of these fears to the MAX team in Kalgoorlie who began looking at her experience and fine-tuning her resume whilst providing emotional support to ready her for the job transition.

It wasn’t long before the MAX team had found a potential job as a furniture salesperson and after some discussion with the employer about Sheree’s suitability and the flexibility she required, a paid work trial was arranged.

Through the trial, the Kalgoorlie team kept in close contact with both the employer and Sheree to check in and make sure the job was the right fit.

While lacking some confidence initially, due to the support of her new colleagues and her Job Coach, Sheree has started making sales (some big ones too!) and is becoming more comfortable in her new workplace.

Since the job switch, she has seen the condition of her back improve resulting in fewer headaches and no longer needing as much pain medication.

Sheree also has open communication with her employer around the needs of her family and they support her requirements of flexibility.

This has enabled Sheree to find the balance to work more days, for more hours, while still being able to care for her family and her own health.