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Woolies boss' multi-million dollar payout revealed

Chief executive Brad Banducci announced his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/woolies-ceo-quits-after-disaster-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early retirement </a>on Wednesday, following a series of PR disasters for the brand and just days after a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/i-think-i-m-done-the-question-that-made-woolies-ceo-leave-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trainwreck interview</a> with ABC Four Corners. Now, the staggering amount he will be paid-out for walking away from the top job has been revealed. According to a report published by The Australian, the supermarket boss will take home a share portfolio worth an estimated $24.4 million. This is in addition to the $6.5 million he would likely be paid-out from his salary. Banducci will step down from his position in September and he will be replaced by former WooliesX leader <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/new-woolies-ceo-s-huge-salary-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amanda Bardwell</a>, who will take over as Chief Executive then. Woolworths Group has denied the suggestion that the resignation was related to the disaster Four Corners interview where Banducci tried to walk away in the middle of being questioned about price gouging. A senate inquiry is also currently investigating whether major supermarkets across the country have engaged in price gouging, as the cost-of-living continues to rise. Banducci has been involved in a series of public controversies before his retirement, including when he came under fire after the supermarket announced it would <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/woolworths-under-fire-for-dropping-australia-day-merch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stop selling Australia Day merchandise </a>ahead of the national holiday in January. Image: Today

Money & Banking

Boss slammed for demanding an employee complete work during annual leave

A boss has been dubbed an “abysmal manager” for demanding his employee join a video call for work, despite being on annual leave. Businessman Ben Askins, who has dedicated his TikTok account to calling out unacceptable workplace behaviour, read out the text exchange between the man and his boss, who quickly became unreasonable in his demands. The first message came from the man’s boss, who asked “Where are you? Haven’t seen you at your desk today? I need to run something by you.” The employee responded, reminding his boss that he was off on pre-approved annual leave, and was enjoying a holiday abroad in Spain. Despite his holiday, the employee still offered to help, saying he could “probably jump on a quick call when I am on the bus from the airport if it is really urgent.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2QFCsgtSoS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2QFCsgtSoS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ben Askins (@benaskins.official)</a> </div> </blockquote> Unhappy with the compromise, the demanding boss then asked if the employee would “jump on a Zoom call when you get to the hotel” as he would “prefer to do this in person”. “Sorry, not really possible, we have a really packed schedule,” the worker replied to his boss, to which the manager hit back with, “Damn, wish you had told me that you were on annual leave.” The man reminded his boss he had signed off his leave two months prior and it was “in the system” but he came back saying, “Lol as if I would remember that. It is poor form for you to not remind me.” As Ben continued to read the text exchange, he added his own commentary on the situation, saying, “It's your job to remember that, it's not his fault you're just being unbelievably shocking at yours.” “This is so bad, this poor employee has done everything right; he's got it signed off two months in advance, he's done all the handover, he's done everything he could have done,' Ben ranted. “Because the manager is shocking, it's now impacting the employee's holiday. I just hate it when that happens.” Ben, a self-described “champion of younger gens in the workplace” said the heated chat showed the boss's “really poor” form and “abysmal management”. “What are you doing being so unorganised? Because the problem when an unorganised manager happens it hits down to the team below him - what the hell he's playing at? I have no idea,” he said. Ben's clip was viewed more than 2.3million and had users fired up, with thousands of comments flooding in in support of the burnt out employee trying to enjoy his holiday. Image credits: Instagram

Legal

Woolies boss grilled for scrapping Aus Day merch

Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci has shared the reason why the retailer chose to drop Australia Day merchandise. The supermarket giant copped some <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/woolworths-under-fire-for-dropping-australia-day-merch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backlash </a>after they announced that they would stop selling the merch, with even opposition leader Peter Dutton calling for a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/peter-dutton-calls-for-woolworths-boycott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boycott</a> for their decision. They have since issued a full-page advertisement insisting the supermarket giant is not anti-Australia Day, which Banducci was grilled for in his latest appearance on the Today show. “We aren’t trying to ‘cancel’ Australia Day, rather Woolworths is deeply proud of our place in providing the fresh food that brings Australians together every day,” Banducci wrote in the letter. “So you’re not anti Australia today as a company?” Today show host Karl Stefanovic asked in reference to the letter. “Karl, we are a very proud Australian company. We’ve been around for 100 years. "We have 178,000 hard working team members who are going to be in store doing the right thing for our customers on Australia Day, and we’re passionate about this country,” the Woolworths chief executive replied. “But you’re not anti Australia Day?” Stefanovic asked again. Banducci replied saying that the day “means different things to everyone” and that he supports Aussies to commemorate the day in whatever way they wish. He added that while customers won't be able to buy Australia Day merch at their stores, they will decorate their stores across the country in “green and gold” to commemorate the day. “You must have serious regrets about this?” Stefanovic grilled. “I think we could clearly have done a better job of explaining our decision, that’s why I’m here,” Banducci replied. “I do feel anxious about the impact that this is having on our team. They are proud, hard working Australians, and for them to be seen as anti-Australian or woke is fundamentally unfair.” He added that this decision was made 12 months ago when they found that there was “gradual decline” in demand for the merchandise. Images: Today

Legal

Boss slammed for demanding "insane" farewell gift contribution

A boss in London has been slammed after asking his employees to chip in almost $100 each for an expensive farewell gift for a co-worker. In a TikTok, London-resident Ben Askins read out the anonymous submission from one of the employees who was fed up after his manager “forced” everyone in the team to contribute because it was "compulsory". “Hey, noticed you hadn’t paid into the leaving present for Josh yet. Can you send me the £50 (AU$95) today? I want to put the purchase in by the end of the day,” the boss said in the text. Shocked by the "insane" amount of money, the employee replied: “Can I ask why it is so expensive? “Money is a little tight right now and to be asked to put in so much feels like a lot.” However, the manager didn't take his employee's financial situation into consideration, and said: “Josh has led the company for three years now and I think it’s nice gesture to show our appreciation.” The employee hit back: “I appreciate that but he makes so much more money than me and for me to be asked to put in so much feels weird especially as I never really worked with him”. But, the manager insisted that the employee needed to make a contribution. “This is compulsory I am afraid, it is not fair for me to ask some people and not others. Besides it isn’t that much all things considered," he said, and the employee conceded. It is unclear what happened after, but the texts have gone viral with over 2.2 million views thanks to Askins' <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ben.askins/video/7307322849407028513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a>. Askins, who’s a managing director and co-founder of a digital agency, weighed in on the ordeal. “I don’t like this at all. I don’t mind leaving presents as a concept, right? But companies should pay it,” he said. “Companies should take responsibility, set a budget and they should pay for themselves. If you want to get something small for your best mate at work, that’s totally different, that’s well within your right. “But this sort of compulsory, ‘everyone’s got to chip in’, I absolutely hate," he added. He also said that the manager's actions are "really poor" and asking for that amount "is just ridiculous, it’s an insane amount". “It might not be much money for him but it is clearly a lot for this person so it’s just not fair what he’s doing,” he concluded. Images: TikTok

Retirement Life

David Walliams' explosive new claims against BGT bosses

David Walliams has claimed he has suffered suicidal thoughts since being dropped as a judge from Britain's Got Talent, according to court documents. The explosive claims have been documented in the high-profile case with the UK High Court, which began after Walliams was axed from the popular TV show following a leaking of a hot mic conversation. The 52-year-old was unknowingly being recorded when he made <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/david-walliams-sues-bgt-over-leaked-rant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vile comments</a> about contestants, and was subsequently asked to leave the show after a decade on the judging panel. Now, Walliams is suing Fremantle Media after they allegedly “recorded, transcribed and retained” private conversations for ten years from Walliams and the other judges on the show. He alleges they collected private and sensitive details of conversations throughout his time on the family favourite series, and he claims fellow judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon were monitored the same way by production staff. Walliams, who says he has suffered suicidal thoughts after being cancelled from public life, is seeking £1 million (A$1.9 million) he stood to get from the prime-time ITV show, plus £1.7 million (A$3.25 million) in lost earnings from the last year. He wants an additional £3.4 million (A$6.5 million) covering future losses over at least the next two years, taking the total to £6.1 million (A$11.65 million). In addition he is seeking further unspecified damages for psychiatric harm, distress and upset and the loss of control over his private information and legal costs, which sources say could bring the total up to as much as £10 million (A$19 million). The court documents claim that Walliams was uninvited from an official royal event to read at the Commonwealth Writing Competition with Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace, after he was dropped from BGT. He said in that time after he left the show, he has received only one new work booking, having “catastrophic results for his reputation and career”. Walliams says he is now fighting “active suicidal thoughts” and has “lost the ability to be funny” amid fears that whatever he says or does will be used against him. In the lengthy court documents, Walliams says the fallout destroyed his “reputation and career” as a comedian, TV personality and children’s author. Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

World Cup star files official complaint over "unsolicited kiss" with Spanish football boss

Jenni Hermoso has filed an official complaint against Luis Rubiales over an "unsolicited kiss" at the Women's World Cup final. Following Spain's victory of England in the final, Rubiales, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief, kissed Hermoso on the lips while congratulating the team. The Spanish footballer is accusing Rubiales of sexual assault, as she said the kiss was not consensual. Despite this, Rubiales has defended his actions and is refusing to step down. The official complaint, which was filed on Tuesday, is key for a preliminary investigation into the incident, which prosecutors at Spain’s top criminal court have opened for the alleged crime of “sexual assault”, to move forward. In the days after the incident, Hermoso said the unwanted kiss had left her feeling “vulnerable and like the victim of an assault”, with a statement on social media describing it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”. Rubiales has apologised for his conduct but insists the kiss was consensual, as he has refused to quit his role despite both the RFEF and FIFA calling on him to do so. In a display of solidarity, <span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">56 national team members have <span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px;">condemned the government for what they deemed to be "<a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/impunity-for-macho-actions-is-over-why-the-entire-spanish-world-cup-team-has-quit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">macho actions</a>". <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">A collective statement, issued through their union, was signed by all 23 members of the winning squad, including Hermoso, as well as 32 other team members. In the statement, they declared their refusal to participate in international matches as long as Rubiales remains at the helm of the RFEF. After the official complaint was lodged, the RFEF sacked the head coach of the Spanish women’s team, Jorge Vilda, after he was the only member of the women’s national team coaching staff not to resign in protest at Rubiales’s behaviour. Vilda’s dismissal was confirmed amid accusations he had repeatedly backed Rubiales and saw no issue with his behaviour. In addition to the complaint from Hermoso, Spain’s Sport Administrative Tribunal (TAD) opened a case against Rubiales for “serious misconduct”. Image credits: Getty Images <figure class="sc-11i7hbm-0 eUyOEq" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></figure>

Legal

RBA boss' blunt suggestion for struggling renters

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Phillip Lowe is warning Aussies that the nationwide rental crisis will worsen before it gets better. Despite high interest rates and a good chance of another increase as inflation continues to skyrocket, the housing market is showing signs of recovery. However, renters are faced with a short supply and the possibility of the biggest rent hike in decades. Lowe urged people struggling with their payments to consider getting a flatmate or housemate or moving back home. He also suggested people rent out their spare rooms to help with the crisis. "The way that this ends up fixing itself, unfortunately, is through higher housing prices and higher rents," he said. "Because as rents go up people decide not to move out of home, or you don't have that home office, you get a flatmate. "The increase in supply can't happen immediately, but higher prices do lead people to economise on housing." Lowe explained that housing supply was the biggest challenge on the market and that rents were expected to increase by 10 per cent. That would be the biggest price hike since the 1980s. However, homeowners will be pleased to hear that the market is showing signs of recovery, with a 1.2 per cent growth recorded in May 2023. Image credit: Getty

Real Estate

Government will require bosses to pay workers their super on payday

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-grattan-20316">Michelle Grattan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> A government change requiring superannuation to be paid on payday could mean a young employee will be several thousand dollars better off by retirement. The reform – which will not come in until July 1 2026 – will benefit the retirement incomes of millions of Australians, according to Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones. They give the example of a 25-year-old median income earner presently receiving their super quarterly and their wages each fortnight, who could be about $6000 (or 1.5%) better off when they retire. The ministers argue there will be benefits to bosses, as well as to the workers, in the change. “More frequent super payments will make employers’ payroll management smoother with fewer liabilities building up on their books.” They say payday super will mean employees can keep track of the payments more easily and it will be more difficult for disreputable employers to exploit them. “While most employers do the right thing, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) estimates $3.4 billion worth of super went unpaid in 2019-20.” The ATO will get extra resourcing to help it detect unpaid super payments earlier. Treasury and the ATO will consult stakeholders on the changes later this year. The ministers say the July 1 2026 start will give employers, superannuation funds, payroll providers and other parts of the superannuation system enough time to get ready for the change.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204759/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-grattan-20316">Michelle Grattan</a>, Professorial Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/government-will-require-bosses-to-pay-workers-their-super-on-payday-204759">original article</a>.

Retirement Income

“So tone deaf”: Karl loses it over Medibank bosses' massive bonuses

Karl Stefanovic has slammed the top bosses at Medibank after it has been revealed they will be taking home millions in bonuses amid the company’s cyber attack crisis. While ten million of Medibank’s customers are learning whether their personal data has made it onto the dark web - and fork out cash to keep themselves safe - bosses will still be collecting a total of $7.3 million in bonuses. Joel Andrews, one customer whose data has been stolen, told Today that “it’s disgusting” that bosses aren’t willing to give up their bonuses despite affected customers facing financial losses. “I’m furious,” Andrews said. “To think that it’s taken them a month to get this information out to us and say what’s been released, I understand it takes time to find these things out but it’s taken them that long. “They promised early on that they would act quickly because it’s such a time-sensitive issue, and it feels like they have just left it up to them, on their timing.” “I mean you’ve got the Medicare boss getting $1.5 million in bonuses last financial year,” co-host Ally Langdon said. “He also receives 150 percent of his fixed salary in shares … it’s pretty tone deaf, isn’t it?” “It’s disgusting,” Andrews replied. "To think that all of the customers out there, ten million customers, if each of them have to pay for their own software to do data protection, losses to them are around $100 each,. "That's a significant loss to each person and they are not willing to give up their bonuses." Stefanovic, who found out he was also a victim of the attack just two days ago, said he had “no sympathy” for the company as it faces declining share prices and hefty costs as a result of the attack and agreed the bonuses were “disgusting”. “It’s a failure across the board and they’re giving themselves bonuses,” the Today Show host said. “It’s unbelievable. "This is so tone deaf, it is one of the most tone deaf things I have seen a corporation do in Australia for a long, long time.” The health insurance company has come under fire for how it handled the cyber attack, with customers’ data being leaked onto the dark web after it refused to pay a ransom and affected customers finding out if they’ve been targeted more than a month later. As the Australian Federal Police continue their investigation into the attack, they have promised to take swift action against anyone who accesses the private data shared on the dark web. Affected customers who aren’t happy with Medicare’s actions or its handling of the situation have also begun proceedings to file a lawsuit against the company. Image: The Today Show

Money & Banking

"You can't be in two places at once": ATO boss warns of new tax crackdown

As our lives have changed quite a bit over the past two years, the ATO has warned one particular group of Australians are not reflecting this change when processing their tax returns. The ATO says Australians who drive to work have become accustomed to filing a number of expenses for their car, but those types of expenses could land them in trouble this year. In an interview, the ATO assistant commissioner Tim Loh said it would be looking very carefully at car-related expenses this tax time. “What we are seeing is people continuing to claim car and travel expenses at pre-pandemic levels,” he said. “We do expect car and travel expenses to go down quite significantly because if you’ve been working from home, you can’t be at two places at once.” According to the ATO, travel to and from work cannot be claimed as a tax deduction but petrol costs for trips to a job-related task can be submitted. If you are to be audited, you will have to prove to tax officials you used your car for work, and not just to buy groceries or visit your mates. The ATO is preparing to crack down on Australians who are over-claiming work-related expenses to help with the rising cost of living. One of the steepest rises in everyday goods is in petrol prices. We’ve seen them hit record highs in recent months as the war in Ukraine squeezes supplies. With the national petrol price at 211.9 cents a litre, CommSec calculated an average Aussie family spent $296.66 a month filling up their car – just shy of the recent record high of $297.50 in May. It means that the average monthly fuel bill has increased by $74.48 compared to the beginning of 2022. However, It’s not just motoring expenses the ATO will be keeping a close eye on. Rapid antigen tests are also an area the ATO will be looking at. He said Australians who claimed rapid antigen tests on their tax return would also need to prove it was work-related and not for personal use. “Now with those rapid antigen tests used for work purposes, you need to satisfy three rules: you must have spent the money yourself and not be reimbursed by your employer,” Mr Loh said. “It must be related for work-related purposes.” Big change to work-from-home expenses After the lockdowns of the past 12 months, many of us will be claiming deductions for working from home. The good news is that this year, there is still an easy system in place for working out how much you’re owed. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, professionals have been able to claim a flat 80 cent-an-hour rate for their expenses instead of having to manually add them up. The flat-rate was meant to have ended on June 30, 2021 but the tax office extended it for another year as Sydney and Melbourne were put into long lockdowns. That means you can use it on this year’s tax return, which you have until October 31st to complete. However, a big change is coming from July 1st, meaning that from the next financial year you will be required to keep your electricity, internet and phone bills and manually add up your expenses to claim a lower 52-cent an hour deduction if you’re working from home permanently. It basically means that those of us working from home will have to get into the habit of keeping receipts in the new financial year.

Legal

Girlboss or businessperson? Should we highlight or downplay gender in our language?

Just hearing the term “girl boss” makes me cringe. But after reading new research findings on gendered language in the workplace, I’m now more open to embracing it. Gender-neutral words such as “businessperson” may not be gender-neutral at all, and may even be reinforcing stereotypes. This is because if gender is not specified, often we fill in the blanks with a masculine default – so suggests new research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.05.001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. “If anyone suggested saying ‘female politician’ or ‘lady scientist’, I think many would say, ‘No, thank you’,” says co-author of this study, Assistant Professor Stav Atir, from the University of Wisconsin, US. “But wholesale gender neutrality in language is no panacea. Occupation words such as ‘businessperson’ or ‘surgeon’, though technically gender neutral, likely conjure up an image of a man. Likewise, ‘nurse’ (also technically gender neutral) conjures up an image of a woman.” The alternative, using a gender-marking approach, can be useful to highlight women and nonbinary people’s successes in a normally male-dominated field. “In order to spotlight the breakers of glass ceilings and those following in their footsteps, we must mention their gender,” says Atir. “If we discuss the CEO of YouTube, for instance, or the 2020 Nobel laureate in physics, and don’t mention they are women (Susan Wojcicki and Andrea Ghez, respectively), we’d be missing an opportunity to change people’s perceptions of who belongs and who can be successful in these professions.” This is similar to the effect of not “<a href="https://ideas.ted.com/why-saying-i-dont-see-race-at-all-just-makes-racism-worse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeing race</a>”, where ignoring someone’s <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/does-race-count-in-healthcare/">race</a> means we could be failing to recognise and celebrate additional obstacles overcome by underrepresented people. The lack of “gender marking” could have negative effects on nonbinary people too. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p194192-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 resetting spai-bg-prepared" action="/people/girlboss-or-businessperson-should-we-highlight-or-downplay-gender-in-our-language/#wpcf7-f6-p194192-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="resetting"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page spai-bg-prepared" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> “The gender-neutral businessperson is technically inclusive, but the same male-default thinking that makes women disappear in gender-neutral language likely makes nonbinary people disappear, too.” says Atir. “Even writing about gender in a nonbinary way is difficult using existing linguistic tools.” Unfortunately, gender marking also has its own drawbacks, and potentially reinforce stereotypes between different genders. “Gender marking, then, should not be used thoughtlessly,” says Atir. “Though it can draw attention to professionals whose gender is underrepresented, it can also have ironic consequences, prompting stereotypical thinking and bolstering the perception of women as exotic exceptions to the male rule.” So what do we do? “We might be tempted to throw up our hands and give up the endeavour of using language to express and promote our beliefs,” says Atir. “That would be a mistake. “Language remains one tool in our toolbox for social change, and, unlike some of our other tools, it’s one that we can all use. The key to using this tool effectively is to tailor our language to the context, taking into account our situation-specific goals.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=194192&title=Girlboss+or+businessperson%3F+Should+we+highlight+or+downplay+gender+in+our+language%3F" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/girlboss-or-businessperson-should-we-highlight-or-downplay-gender-in-our-language/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/qamariya-nasrullah">Qamariya Nasrullah</a>. Qamariya Nasrullah holds a PhD in evolutionary development from Monash University and an Honours degree in palaeontology from Flinders University. Image: Getty Images </div>

Caring

Boss’ unethical demands to employees

A boss who demanded his employees clock off every time they’re away from doing their job has been called out. The vegan bakery in Oregon, USA, had the list of demands stuck to a door and a photo of it was shared to Reddit. “Always clock out when passing this door,” a bold line heads the note. “Including bathroom breaks, 10-minute shift breaks, lunch breaks, questions regarding personal requests. “Questions regarding production should not require leaving the production area, please see floor manager on duty. “Paid break times will be added to your paycheck in accordance with hours worked.” Reddit users slammed the boss for the inhumane demands, saying it’s an easy way to get your employees to leave. “If you want to buy my body for 8 hours, you will pay for its needs, too,” someone wrote. “How to lose 1/4 of your staff in one go,” another commented. “I need water and food to get through a work day. That means I need to get rid of that water and food during the work day as well. Don‘t like it? Hire a robot,” someone else wrote. Image: Reddit

Money & Banking

Boss threatens to sue employees over wage talk

An employee has called out her manager after he threatened to fire staff for talking about their wages. The business owner of Planet Fitness gym in Kentucky, US, hung a poster on the wall informing staff not to talk about their wages because it is illegal. However, under the National Labor Relations Act, employees are entitled to speak about their wages freely. “ATTENTION ALL SUBORDINATES,” the letter, which was shared to Reddit began. “Effective immediately, conversing about wages (both on duty and off duty) is strictly forbidden, “This is considered proprietary information and as such, it is protected legally. “If you are overheard speaking (OR LISTENING TO!!) a conversation in which wages are discussed, you will receive disciplinary action up to and including termination.” One of the gym’s employees, Shelly, did not accept her boss's premise and decided to get back at him. Another photo shared to the post shows multiple hammers and sickles drawn on it - representative of the communist party. “Seeing as you’re a manager in the great illustrious word (sic) of Planet Fitness gym franchises, it may behoove (sic) you to become familiar with the laws pertaining to it,” Shelly wrote. “Sprinkling legalese and word-salad across an 8.5x11 paper you printed does not make a legal doc. “Needless to say, you can’t legally tell us not to discuss wages in the good ol’ U.S. of A. We will continue to do so.” She ended the note with “Love, $10.50 an hour Shelly” which then saw her colleagues write their own wages. Viewers commended Shelly for the move which showed a united front against the boss who was very much in the wrong. "I LOVE $10.50 an hour Shelly!" someone wrote. "Long Live Shelly. I hope she is $25.00 an hour Shelly very very soon,” another commented. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of SHELLY SHELLY!" another joked. Images: Reddit

Money & Banking

Sam Armytage's former boss reveals why she left

Outgoing Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell – who is moving into a new Los Angeles-based role for the Seven network, told TV Tonight that Sam Armytage perhaps wasn't suited to life in the spotlight. Rather, Armytage happened to excel in a field “she maybe never really wanted to go into”, her friend and former colleague revealed. Pell gave the candid new interview to TV Tonight and spoke of the highs and lows of his 11 years in one of morning TV’s top jobs and acknowledged that while he and Armytage developed a close friendship, they also fought “like cats and dogs, always about the creative process”. The interview touched on Armytage’s well-documented struggles with the tabloid scrutiny that came with her job as one of Australian TV’s most recognisable faces. During her final episode of Sunrise in March 2021, a tearful Armytage told viewers that she had “never fully understood some of the scrutiny and the snarkiness and the bullying from some aspects of the media”. Pell told TV Tonight that Armytage became a “big clickbait target” during her time on Sunrise. “She did really well in a field that maybe she never really wanted to go into,” he said. “In some ways she’s the anti-TV presenter. She doesn’t even really love the idea of being in the limelight. She’s a country girl who likes a quiet life. But, this very busy life found her and she killed it.” Sam quit Sunrise months after marrying businessman Richard Lavender and moving to the NSW Southern Highlands in 2020. Image: Getty

"I had no choice": Tragic reason why F1 boss took his own life

The heartbreaking reason why F1 boss Max Mosley committed suicide has been revealed. The 81-year-old was found dead with “significant injuries consistent with a gunshot wound”, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18101716/max-mosley-shot-himsel-terminal-cancer-diagnosis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a> reported. On Tuesday, the Westminster Coroner in London heard that Mosley had shot himself when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Following his terminal diagnosis, Mosley was told that he had “weeks” to live, and there was no cure for his chronic bladder and bowel pain. He was offered palliative care. Mosley was found dead lying in a pool of his blood with a double-barreled shotgun in between his knees on May 24, 2021. Outside on his bedroom door was a note that read: “Do not enter, call the police”. Police had also found a suicide note on the bedside table that was covered in blood. The only words they could make out were, “I had no choice”, the court heard. “It was obvious he had used the shotgun on himself and endured a life-ending injury. It’s clear he had injuries not compatible with life,” the coroner said. Mosley was referred to Dr Rasha Al-Quarainy, a consultant in palliative care from the Central and North West London NHS Trust, a month before his suicide. She told the courts that Mosley’s B-cell Lymphoma was “inoperable” and that he hadn’t mentioned any suicidal thoughts. “On the contrary he said that he had plans to renovate their home in Gloucestershire that wasn’t going to be finished until July. “He was still seeking treatment possibly in the US, possibly in the UK, and some other matters he spoke to me about.” Dr Christopher McNamara, a consultant haematologist, who had been treating Mosley since 2019, said he had spoken about his life. “He emailed me on 22 May 2021, these were questions about the management of the condition. He had accepted this would not be cured,” Dr McNamara said in court. “He was extremely upset as his quality of life was poor and left him uncomfortable. “He had expressed ideas of committing suicide to myself and other members of the team previously. “He never expressed a plan of doing this and all he said was that the problem was his wife would not accept this.” Image: Getty

Caring

New police boss’s sad revelation on William Tyrrell search

As the renewed search for William Tyrrell closes in on the two week mark, the new NSW Police commissioner has revealed a sad truth about the investigation. Deputy Commissioner Karen Webb, who was named as the next police commissioner on Wednesday, has said she believes William's body will be found, but so far, no DNA evidence has been found. Speaking to 2GB, she said she is confident police will discover the truth about the boy's disappearance, but the investigation will take more time. “There’s no stones (left) unturned,” she said. “It’s been seven years now, and that’s a long time, but we’re not going to give up.” Over the past 11 days, NSW Police have been searching dense bushland on the mid-north coast and have bagged 15 objects of interest so far. All the potential evidence, which includes pieces of cloth and part of a hessian bag, have been sent off for forensic examination. According to Deputy Commissioner Webb, no DNA link has been established between the 15 items and William Tyrrell. “There’s been miles and miles of material and many exhibits taken and it will be examined, but that takes time,” she said. There will be a shift in the renewed search efforts, as divers are expected to search a damn near where the boy was last seen in 2014. Meanwhile, police are continuing their surveillance of William's foster mother, who has been named a person of interest in William's disappearance. NSW Police returned to the mid north coast property, then owned by William’s foster grandmother, 10 days ago to launch a fresh search based on what they have said is new information in the case. Image credits: A Current Affair / Nine News

News

Perfect revenge on a toxic boss

<div> <div class="reply-list-component"> <div class="reply-component"> <div class="reply-body-component"> <div class="reply_body body linkify"> <div class="reply-body-wrapper"> <div class="reply-body-inner"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Image: Reddit After leaving a toxic job, a woman has gotten the perfect revenge on her boss via a witty resignation letter. The electrician named Amber claims she was treated poorly by her “a—hole” boss, so she wrote a letter of resignation on a bereavement card that read “sorry for your loss.” In a thread posted on Reddit, Amber shared the post writing, “You ever worked for a company that just treated you like s----? I received a job offer today for a dollar more than I asked for, my own van, and they’ll sponsor me for school. I can’t wait to give this to my boss tomorrow.” Amber then revealed the text within the card, which was kept simple and straight to the point – “It’s me, I leave in two weeks.” In the comments, Amber predicts that her boss would ask her to resign immediately. She continued to explain that she had been underpaid and overworked. In a follow-up post, the electrician revealed her bosses response to the letter saying, “He said it aloud, gave a stank face, and just said ‘ok’. He didn’t tell me to leave so that means he wants me to work out my two weeks. He also didn’t ask why I’m leaving.” Many users were quick to praise Amber’s hilarious letter with one person writing “Congratulations on your new job! And this is the best resignation letter I’ve ever seen.” </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div class="new-reply-component"></div> </div>

Money & Banking

Crime boss executed on Sydney street

A well-known crime syndicate figure has died after a shooting in Sydney’s CBD. Police suspect Bilal Hamze, the cousin of notorious gang leader Bassam Hamzy, fell victim to a gangland execution on Thursday night. Hamze was shot near George Street in Sydney at around 10:45 pm. Despite paramedics' best efforts, the man died shortly after being rushed to St Vincent's Hospital. A police spokeswoman has confirmed the shooter was still on the loose. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841876/family-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bf91bc3727604d06807b1bfd239b88a5" /> Image: Notorious gang leader Bassam Hamzy Hamze's mother — Hamzy's aunt — survived an attempt on her life while residing in her Auburn home, eight years ago. Maha Hamze suffered eight bullet wounds to her hip and legs. At least 21 shots were fired from a Glock pistol into her Auburn home in Sydney's west. A man who will remain unnamed for legal reasons, was found guilty of attempted murder in October 2014. Hamzy is currently locked up in Australia's toughest prison, Goulburn Supermax. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841877/family-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/834999c8438e4df3866aeffd22172cda" /> He has been convicted of murder and trying to run a drug syndicate from his cell. He has been in prison for almost two decades. It is from there where he started B4L after converting to radical Islam. Hamzy was jailed for the 1998 murder of a teenager, Kris Toumazis, outside a Sydney nightclub. In later years, he was found guilty of running a violent drug ring from his prison cell. He would make up to 450 phone calls a day using a smuggled mobile phone. Hamzy allegedly used the phone to organise two kidnappings and a drive-by shooting. In 2017, prison officers went as far to find a flash drive containing Islamic State material during a targeted search for a phone in his cell. His brother Mejid Hamzy was shot dead in October as he left his Condell Park home.

News

Shaynna Blaze responds to outcry for new Celebrity Apprentice boss

Shaynna Blaze is the winner of Celebrity Apprentice 2021. The interior design queen managed to raise a record breaking $470,000 for her chosen charity, Voice of Change. The star has responded to calls for the Celebrity Apprentice boss Lord Alan Sugar to be replaced. Sugar joined the Australian franchise as the host for the first time this season, after leading The Apprentice in the UK since 2005. Businesswomen Janine Allis and Lorna Jane Clarkson joined the show as advisors for Lord Sugar. Fans have now suggested that Boost founder Janine would be a much better boss. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841837/shaynna-blaze-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a29335ee947d4d82b3c010bc1b7c0f8f" /> Image: Lord Alan Sugar and Janine Allis “Why not just make Janine the boss from the start?” one Twitter user asked. “She would have killed it. An Aussie crew needs an Aussie boss purely to be relatable. Hope it improves.” Janine has assured fans that “Sugar is super experienced” and she still has “lots to learn”. Now Shaynna has weighed in on the demand in favour of Janine. “I think she'd be incredible,” she admitted to Yahoo News. "She is a boss lady, she's firm, she’s fair, she called bullshit to me. I think she’d be incredible and she’d nail it.” Shaynna recently slammed Lord Sugar after he commented on radio that she has a “face like a slapped arse”. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841838/shaynna-blaze.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/73be1db273d4494b92245021ee9fbba6" /> Image: Lord Alan Sugar and Shaynna Blaze In the Celebrity Apprentice finale, Shaynna revealed that her charity, Voice of Change, meant a lot to her as she had personally experienced domestic violence. “I felt like I didn’t need to talk about it until it was time to talk about it,” she says. “Once I got to the finale I went, okay, people need to see why I'm so passionate about this, and I want people to know that you can actually move forward and have a great future, but you've got to make change and have change around you with good people to make that happen.” In the final episode, Shaynna called upon eliminated contestant Martha Kalifatidis for her help. Shaynna confessed that Martha was the contestant she was most surprised about when filming the show. “I had a preconceived idea,” she revealed. “She's forceful and she's out there but she's also very smart and very funny.”

“Bulldust”: David Koch fires up on Qantas boss over vaccine roll-out:

Sunrise host David Koch has lost his cool during an interview with Qantas head Alan Joyce, while discussing Australia’s vaccine rollout. The presenter slammed Mr Joyce’s commentary on the vaccination rollout, who said it “was not a race”. Koch slammed it as “bulldust”, saying: “Nat (Natalie Barr) took on the Health Minister on Friday magnificently, and then even over the weekend, Michael McCormack, Dan Tehan the Trade Minister, all speaking this is not a race, bulldust, it is a race, isn’t it?” Mr Joyce responded by saying that Qantas had a “vested interest” in the country’s vaccine rollout. “We want to do everything that we can to ensure the borders domestically open and stay open and that we get international up and running,” he said. “We have 6000 of our people stood down that are working on international flights, and they will be stood down until we have the international borders reopened. “If this was a flight, we’ve done a fantastic job of managing the take-off … there’s been a bit of turbulence on the way through, now we are coming in for the landing, and getting the covid vaccine rolled out is part of the landing and getting that right will be very key so we can have the certainty for everybody in the country.” The heated discussion followed after Qantas announced they would be introducing 1000 bonus frequent flyer for passengers who get the COVID-19 jab. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841533/kich-alan-joyce-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4afba3b1005b4f87b552682023b1509a" /> Mr Joyce revealed the incentives may be offered as early as July. “We are also looking at having 10 mega prizes, one at least for each state and territory, where a family of four can get unlimited free travel for a year in 2022 on the Qantas and Jetstar networks,” he said. “In addition to that, the Accor group has come on-board, and they’re offering up to one million Accor points, which gives free accommodation across 400 hotel zone resorts across the country. “We are very big on encouragement for people to get out there and get the vaccine.” Mr Joyce said the offer would be available through the Qantas app. Anyone who had both jabs in the time leading up to July and anyone who becomes completely inoculated towards the end of the year is eligible. Images: Channel 7 / Shutterstock

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