Over 44,000 people work for Downer, and they all have a story to tell. Each month, hear from a different employee in our profile series 'Our people, their stories'.

This month we spoke to Israel (Izzy) Schorer, who is passionate about helping others, lending an empathetic ear and advice to teammates when they really need it.

Everyone plays a part in ensuring mental health is a priority in the workplace, however, for some colleagues like Izzy, going above and beyond to help others, is a commitment that they take very seriously. Based in Western Australia, Izzy has worked at Downer for over ten years as a Zero Harm Manager in Power Systems and Northern Infrastructure. Married with three children and having worked a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) roster, Izzy is all too familiar with the challenges that FIFO teammates can face.

For Izzy, the desire to help others grew after his good friend's brother struggled with mental health and took his own life. Witnessing his friend's struggle to deal with the tragedy was a life-changing moment for Izzy. This moment changed his perspective on resilience as well as understanding and dealing with grief. Izzy was inspired to be proactive about reaching out to people and helping them where he could. In the workplace, Izzy’s desire to help people has translated into the creation of various programs and initiatives to cultivate a happier and healthier work environment.

Throughout the calendar year, there are several days with a mental health focus, including R U OK Day and World Mental Health Day. Izzy believes that “we should focus on mental health all year round and not just on specific days.” “R U OK Day has a very important message, but I think the message gets lost and shouldn’t be limited to one day” Izzy explains. For R U OK Day this year, Izzy ensured his team was discussing and promoting the key messages several weeks before the actual day, on 11 September. Being proactive with communication and promoting awareness via various channels meant that everyone knew about R U OK Day and most importantly, people were talking about it.

Izzy’s team also communicates with a WhatsApp group chat. Team members are encouraged to share posts in a safe space where their privacy is respected. From site pictures, family snaps, milestones, and wins, the group chat is a great way to stay connected and engaged. Having experienced the FIFO lifestyle, Izzy understands the toll it can take emotionally – particularly on well-being and mood. The FIFO roster isn’t for everyone, and many people understandably struggle with being away from loved ones for an extended time.

For his teammates, Izzy’s presence on-site is important. Izzy genuinely understands their perspective and to them, he is someone they can talk to and trust. Colleague, Amanda Magistro said: “It’s rare that you come across a person who shows genuine concern, compassion, and empathy not only to his colleagues but to all site personnel and their families too." Amanda added: "The positive impact he has made is astounding. With Izzy, it’s more than just asking, are you okay? the question is always followed up with a conversation, text message, email, or phone call. He is an admired and respected member of our team who employs a unique approach to challenging situations.”

Another example of Izzy’s dedication to employee engagement and mental health is helping create the MOJO committee. The MOJO committee consists of people from across the project and together they meet to plan and organise social activities outside of work for members. The group, has organised activities such as Holy Moly indoor mini-golf and the sports theme continues this month, with a lawn bowls afternoon planned.

Rod Finlay, Project Manager, has been really impressed with the work Izzy has done and continues to do. Rod said: “The results have come from the formation and development of a team with a culture of showing genuine care for each other. In an industry that has not traditionally excelled in this space, Izzy has managed to champion this in a manner that is tailored and impactful. We are not having group hugs at pre-start meetings, but everyone knows they can count on their colleagues if they need a hand.”

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