As a prominent female politician, Amanda Rishworth admits there are quite a few contenders for her ‘worst day at work’. One that stands out marked the end of her very first job: a five year stint at Toys “R” Us in Adelaide that finished with her being laughed out of the room.

“It was a pretty bad day, and it did change the whole trajectory of my career,” the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations tells the FW Leadership Summit. “It was a story where I did try to make a difference for others but, despite my best efforts, I failed.” 

In a portent of things to come for Rishworth, at 19 years old, she found herself in a quasi union-standoff with management. John Howard’s government had just introduced the concept of individual contracts. 

“[For me, this led to] significantly reduced conditions. Management said I didn’t have to sign the agreement, so I didn’t. I also tried to convince others to get together and not sign those contracts. I even used my own birthday party as a secret meeting to convince staff not to sign the agreement,” she recalls.

Rishworth assumed once management heard her concerns, they’d be understanding. Instead she was “bluntly told these contracts were take it or leave it” and was laughed out of the room. 

“Even the worst days at work, even being fired, can help you find a pathway. They can help guide you. They can ignite passion. That’s certainly what happened to me.”

Afraid of losing their jobs, her colleagues signed their contracts. Rishworth got a letter thanking her for her work and telling her to feel free to apply again next Christmas. 

Like most people, she felt incredibly embarrassed to have lost her job. Unlike most people, she went to the Industrial Relations Commission to plead her case. Ultimately, it ruled in her favour and asked Toys “R” Us to reinstate her. 

“It was pretty disheartening but, on reflection, it did teach me so many different lessons. It taught me to keep fighting for what’s right, it taught me to persevere through setbacks and it taught me that, even in a part-time job as a teenager, you can get a new mindset,” she shares. 

That mindset shift has underpinned how Rishworth has approached her two decade career in politics. While it didn’t immediately inspire her to become a politician, she says it did teach her that “what happens in Canberra matters – that Parliament House isn’t just an esoteric building. That the decisions that politicians make do filter all the way down”.

Rishworth’s transition to politics was not linear. In 2006 she was unsuccessful in challenging the Independently-held seat of Fisher, which led to her winning the federal seat of Kingston in the 2007 Rudd-Labor tidal wave. Today, she says her career has come full circle.

“While I wasn’t grateful for being laughed out of the Toys “R” Us meeting room, coming full circle as the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, I’m incredibly thankful for that experience. Because it does remind me, every day, of the enormous responsibility I have.” 

Ultimately, Rishworth’s worst day taught her two things: that setbacks can be good, and not to underestimate lived experience. Instead, she brings it into the room. 

“Even the worst days at work, even being fired, can help you find a pathway. They can help guide you. They can ignite passion. That’s certainly what happened to me.”