Otherwise Employed

Otherwise Employed is a peer-to-peer support group and space for anyone who is unemployed or not working full time and finding it hard.

Lots of things make being ‘Otherwise Employed’ hard. You might be in this position involuntarily, experiencing financial pressures, loss of identity, routine, or purpose, facing rejection in your job search, feeling lonely, or uncertain about the future.

This is an understanding environment shared with others who can relate. Groups are open and non-judgemental, and there is never any pressure to talk if you prefer to attend and listen. We promise that you are not as isolated as you feel.

What this is:

- This is a forum for people to share difficult emotions around not being in full-time employment, which provides not only income but also an identity, structure to your day, social contact, and often a purpose.

What this is not:

- A forum to discuss the practicalities of job searches

- A networking opportunity

Our peer support groups were started in 2018 in the UK by friends Jack and Ben to bring like-minded adults together to discuss their stories and experiences openly. They are a place for people to be themselves and talk freely. We launched our groups in Hong Kong in January 2022.

The groups were created to give space to comfortably discuss life experiences in an understanding environment, knowing that your experiences are shared with others who have been there.

At the beginning of each group, attendees take turns introducing themselves and explaining why they came. From then on, there is no pressure to speak, and many people attend our meetings to listen. The meeting hosts will then ask the group if anyone has anything they would like to bring to the space. Whatever a person says is relevant, and they are welcome to bring anything to the meeting. All attendees are asked to respect the privacy of the space and treat others and ourselves with kindness throughout.

Who are The New Normal Charity?

We are a Hong Kong S88 registered charity. We provide free peer support groups supporting each other through life’s difficult moments. Our support groups are peer-to-peer, with no professionals, just people sharing their experiences. We feel that one of the best forms of therapy is simply speaking. Nobody should ever feel alone, and there is always somebody who can relate to your story.

Host or Publisher lashaundra debose