Paula Schubert was ‘teased, bullied and humiliated’ by her manager in the lead up to her suicide, a coroner has found
A veteran social worker was ‘teased, bullied and humiliated’ by her manager in front of her colleagues in the lead up to her suicide, a coroner has found.
Paula Schubert, 53, worked for the Northern Territory Department of Children and Families for more than three decades before her tragic death in November 2016.
Coroner Greg Cavanagh said the conduct of her boss, Patricia Butler, in the weeks before her death was ‘in short… shocking’.
The coroner found Ms Butler concocted a ‘scheme’ to demote Ms Schubert after she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Ms Butler told Ms Schubert she would have to bring a plunger to work instead of buying coffee, referring to her ‘impending change of roles [and less pay].’
But the ‘most extraordinary part of the evidence’ was on the morning of November 15, Mr Cavanagh said, two days before Ms Schubert was found dead in her bedroom.
Ms Schubert appeared to be in a ‘zombie like state’ shortly before she was called in to a meeting.
‘[Ms Schubert] sat in a team meeting and apparently did little else other than draw a picture,’ Mr Cavanagh said.
‘At the end of the meeting Ms Butler said ”Paula will share her minutes with everyone”. Paula looked surprised. Ms Butler said it was a good drawing and she should share it with everybody.’
Ms Schubert’s psychiatrist, Dr David Chapman, said this incident was a ‘critical event’.
Ms Schubert, 53, worked for the Northern Territory Department of Children and Families for more than three decades before her tragic death in November 2016
‘To expose somebody who was already under a degree of stress… to then have a public – effectively a public humiliation in the workplace, given the fear that she would lose her job, that’s critical,’ he said.
Mr Cavanagh found Ms Butler’s actions constituted bullying and harassment.
‘It was clear that the financial impact would cause anxiety. However, her employer proceeded in a manner that took advantage of Paula’s meekness, willingness to please and fear of being pushed out of her workplace,’ he said.
‘To do that to any employee would have been insensitive and inappropriate. Doing so to an employee with 32 years of service and suffering a health episode magnified the inappropriateness of the conduct.’
He continued: ‘There might be a tendency to wonder how a scheme to demote an employee because of mental health issues could operate in a modern government department.
Ms Schubert (left with a family member) appeared to be in a ‘zombie like state’ shortly before she was called in to a meeting just two days before her death
‘The HR unit should operate to prevent such actions. However, far from counselling against the scheme to demote Paula, HR supported the managers in that endeavour. That is a damning indictment on the organisation.’
Territory Families has responded to the tragedy by seeking ‘an external consultant to review the support or lack thereof given to Paula by Territory Families staff’.
The Department will develop a framework that includes ‘a ”conversations model” to foster a ”culture of conversations”.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Territory Families for comment.
For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14.