Shaun Newman’s Story

As a 56 year old man, I became disabled at the age of 42 after 21 years of workplace oppression, when I had the second nervous breakdown which rendered me unable to concentrate and racked with major depression and anxiety disorder.

I was always predisposed to anxiety issues and was prescribed Valium at an early age of around 16. I had enjoyed a reliable and stable work history until I found myself unemployed in 1978 after returning from a year long holiday in West Australia.

I began a job as a store-man at an Australian multi national company which lead to a role as a sales clerk and later a purchasing clerk. The clerical roles were demanding with many, many hours of unpaid overtime worked, there were never enough hours in the ordinary working day to keep up with the work load and they would not employ more staff, I was lent on as I was a willing worker who had a mortgage. I was told “your job’s on the line” and various other intimidatory phrases as a way to enslave me to the company, I even received psychical action in the form of being lifted off the ground by my ear at one time. As a result I have insomnia and joint and muscle pain as well as my chronic illness.

These are the employers who should be made to contribute to a NDIS in my humble opinion.

Shaun Newman
4818