for a tour before you seal the deal,” Keelia says. “I’d be asking
myself: is this workspace safe, practical, appropriate and, finally,
would I actually be happy to work here, day in, day out?” You can
also get a sense of dress code while you’re there – a detail that
could matter more than you might think. “It seems superficial,”
Keelia says, “but it can tell you a lot about who you’re working
for, especially in industries like hospitality, which is rife with
outdated and totally sexist notions of how female employees,
in particular, should look.” Again, it’s something you can
broach with your interviewer – if they suggest ‘less is more’
but you’re not actually applying for a life modelling gig, walk
away. If you’re required to don something that could jeopardise
your wellbeing – think high heels when you’re waiting tables
all night – again, you might want to give it a miss.SAFETY FIRSTOccupational health and safety is about more
than hard hats and closed-toe shoes. “Find out what kind of
training your employer plans to provide,” Keelia says. “It’s
their job to make sure you have support and know the procedures
to work safely, so they legally have to provide those things –
especially if you’re working with anything hot, heavy, dangerous,
or money-related.” It’s also on them to give you the gear you need
to do your job risk-free. If you broach these topics in advance, only
to be met with a blank face, count that as a sign of how much (or
little) they’ve got your back. Meanwhile, if you’re in one of those
cash-in-hand roles we mentioned, it’s worth noting you’re less
likely to have quick access to WorkCover if you’re injured on the
job. “Even though they still have a legal duty of care, they’re
not going to be falling over themselves to put in a claim if
you’re not even meant to exist,” Keelia says.SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE Before you dive head-first into a
new job, you need something signed off by your boss that outlines
the basics of what you’re in for – like what your role entails (to avoid
any rude shocks on day one); where you’ll be working (so you can
plan your trip from home); how much you get paid; your start and
finish times, plus breaks; and what terms you’re being employed
on (is it casual, contract, full-time?). “This is something you should
totally ask for to help you decide whether to accept the job,” Keelia
says. “It’ll give you a pretty good insight into what you can expect,
and it’s in writing, so they can’t claim something different down
the line. Don’t be afraid to ask for more detail if it’s light on in
any of those non-negotiable areas.”^THE PACKAGE DEALOverall, a job hunt is about knowing your
worth, and not entering a situation that could ultimately do you
harm – physically, mentally, emotionally or financially. “If you
think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – survival down the bottom,
fulfilment up top – the basic needs should be taken care of
first in a workplace,” Keelia says. “Even if you don’t have high
expectations of fulfilment from the job you’re doing right now,
you deserve, at the very least, to get the minimum wages and
entitlements that our legal systems provide to all workers.”
There’s no point campaigning your boss for beanbags, nap pods
and a cat-petting relaxation room if your basic workplace is unsafe
or everyone’s being underpaid. Laws around fair pay and safe
working conditions haven’t just magically materialised – they’ve
been fought for by generations of trade union activists. “These
rights and entitlements are only meaningful if we’re prepared
to put them into practice and hold people – usually bosses – to
account,” Keelia says.Photo
Twentieth Century Fox
real life