FOCUS ON WORK: HAVING FUN AT WORK

A sense of fun in the workplace is a win for everyone. With a light-hearted spirit, new friendships can blossom and spirits stay high, making the hours whoosh by and keeping stress at bay. In these five short films we meet individuals who each bring a very different sense of fun to their workplace.

Kate works in Woolworths, zipping around the store in a motorised scooter, bringing smiles and laughter to her colleagues. Her story, 'Never Give Up' is a reminder that we all have loads of abilities, and that work is a fantastic opportunity to 'do a normal job with normal people'.

'Georgia' works at Fighting Chance, a social enterprise making a difference in the world. We hear how Georgia overcame her first day nerves and later went on to achieve the highest sales in a day. Her enthusiasm knows no bounds. It's this ability that helps Georgia develop new skills on different projects.

In 'Life is a circus' Nick tackles life and work with Asperger Syndrome. It's a clever film that asks us to take a walk in Nick's shoes, confronting cliches along the way. Nick's abilities are forever growing as he takes on new challenges and life goals, always with his unique outlook. Nick says, 'because we don't do things by the book, sometimes our true abilities are overlooked.' He employs a novel way to show the world his talents in this black and white short film that shifts into colour as minds open.

In 'Paul', we see the joy he brings to a group of older men, many of whom live with loneliness. Paul changes lives through his high fives, kind words, pats on the back and electric dance moves. Watch for the joy on Paul's face as he hears a poem written just for him.

Michael has worked for 40 years and, in 'Michael's Story: The Importance of Work', we see into the many roles he's enjoyed at Taronga Zoo. This short film is a treat - read the comments to hear from all the people who remember working with Michael at the zoo and the joy he brought to their lives.