Dream, Believe and Achieve by knowing your rights at work

Participants in the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ Dream, Believe, Achieve Hospitality training and employment program are now armed with more than food and beverage skills as they pursue new careers.

Dream, Believe, Achieve Presenting Partner Maurice Blackburn Lawyers delivered important lessons around knowing and accessing rights at work, as the cohort prepares to graduate the course.

“These conversations are hugely important to anyone about to enter or re-enter the workforce,” said Tamara Splatt, lawyer for Maurice Blackburn in Townsville.

“It's important employees know they are protected in circumstances where they are fighting for rights and entitlements, like fair pay and leave, or if they have been injured at work.

“For people who have come from a position of finding it hard to get employment it’s particularly crucial, because they can often be fearful of speaking up and jeopardising their employment.

“At Maurice Blackburn we fight for the rights of marginalised people in the community, and we believe that the law should serve everyone.

“So, what we do closely aligns with the Cowboys’ Dream, Believe, Achieve program which supports disadvantaged or underemployed North Queenslanders back on their learning and employment journeys.”

Dream, Believe Achieve participant Alex, had been unemployed for many years, and said the Maurice Blackburn Lawyers presentation would empower him to advocate for his rights.

“I’m doing Dream, Believe, Achieve to improve myself and get back to work,” Alex said.  

“I’ve been on disability support for a long time since my mum passed away, so I’m excited about this opportunity because I’m 55 now, it’s time to work,” he said.

“I found Tamara’s presentation was full of great information that will be very useful when I apply for jobs. My big takeaways were to know your rights and, don’t be scared to speak up because there are people there to help you, you’re not alone.”

The presentation also included information from the Transport Workers Union.

Dream, Believe, Achieve is funded under the Queensland Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) initiative, supporting disadvantaged or underemployed North Queenslanders to obtain a Certificate III in Hospitality and other work-ready qualifications through a unique combination of mentorship, training and work experience.

If this story raised concerns or questions, you can contact your relevant union, the Fair Work Commission or a lawyer.

“There is a union to cover every industry and even if you’re not a member you can always contact them for some basic advice or reach out to a lawyer,” Tamara said.

“At Maurice Blackburn, the first consultation is free even if the matter doesn’t progress, and if it does go ahead, we offer a No Win, No Fee service.”

More information on Dream, Believe, Achieve here.