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MP proposes schools remain open until night-time

<p>A NSW Liberal MP has proposed that Australian schools should remain open until 6pm to better accommodate “modern employment”.</p> <p>During his maiden speech to parliament, Member for Ryde Jordan Lane said that "local schools should become hubs for after-school activity”, where the government guarantees that a child can remain on school campuses after 3pm.</p> <p>"It affords parents flexibility, while at the same time making school a place for extracurricular excellence," he said.</p> <p>"By engaging providers and community organisations, we avoid overworking our tirelessly hardworking teachers but expose more children to rounded experiences, such as coding classes, culture and language, art, dance, music and sport.</p> <p>"I care deeply about the academic results that our students are able to achieve, and about ensuring they can compete on a global stage, but I care even more that our education system helps us to create a new generation of Australians with the content of character we need to be successful as a country.”</p> <p>The move could lead to an extra year of education as a result of the extended hours of teaching, Lane added.</p> <p>"Greater flexibility for parents, a productivity and employment boost to the state, financial relief from the high cost of child care and an injection of hope for potential but reluctant parents who, like me, struggle to rationalise how to afford, in terms of both time and money, children, a home and equal employability between partners," he said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Instagram</em></p>

Legal

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“I may as well give you the inside story”: Dr Charlie Teo unleashes on tribunal

<p dir="ltr">Dr Charlie Teo has revealed his true thoughts on a five-day disciplinary hearing by the Health Care Complaints Commission. </p> <p dir="ltr">The commission launched their inquiry into two cases where Teo performed brain surgery on two patients who ultimately passed away, in the wake of accusations of negligence. And while Teo denied any negligence on his part, he did admit that he was responsible, telling the hearing that he believed he had been “too aggressive”. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was during a speech to guests at his annual Rebel Ball - the “Charlie Teo Foundation’s premier event supporting the visionaries and revolutionaries tackling brain cancer head-on” - that he unleashed, slamming the Health Care Complaints Commission and the hearing. </p> <p dir="ltr">At the Crown Sydney, Teo took to the stage to a roar of applause from his supporters, and began by telling them “you here tonight have stuck with me and I can't thank you enough for your loyalty.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everyone's been asking me about the tribunal. I may as well give you the inside story. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The tribunal was absolute f***ing bulls**t.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It isn’t the first time that Teo had spoken out against the strikes against himself and his career, with the neurosurgeon having <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/the-agenda-is-to-destroy-charlie-teo-final-hit-ahead-of-hearing">previously confessed to Mark Bouris</a> that “it’s got nothing to do with fairness, what’s right or wrong. It’s all got to do with people’s agendas. And the agenda is to destroy Charlie Teo.” </p> <p dir="ltr">And outside of his March hearing, Teo insisted that restrictions from prior hearings had potentially cost lives, with the neurosurgeon noting that he hadn’t been able to save lives that he knew he could have. </p> <p dir="ltr">The end goal of Teo’s Rebel Ball was just that: helping people, and ultimately saving lives.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a post to the Charlie Teo Foundation’s Facebook page, it was declared that the event had “transformed the future”, having raised over $1 million “for game-changing brain cancer research”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Among the guests and contributors were the likes of former Australian cricketers Steve Waugh and Gavin Robertson, former Olympic volleyballer Kerri Potthurst, “the last man to represent NSW at both cricket and rugby league” Graeme Hughes, and Labor’s Graham Richardson. </p> <p dir="ltr">Brain tumour survivor Beatrice McBride was also in attendance, and even performed with her father, Slide McBride, with a song she’d written for Teo. The musical entertainment continued from there, with Mondo Rock’s Paul Christie joining The Hidley Street Country Club Band on stage.</p> <p dir="ltr">Supporters were quick to flock to Teo’s side after the event, sharing their congratulations for a successful fundraising effort, and their delight at seeing so many prepared to stand by him. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Amazing result,” one wrote, “well done to everyone giving Charlie the support.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a great night had by all. Thanks to all the big supporters for their massive contributions. Just proves Charlie can still pull a crowd of true believers. There was no room for the haters,” another declared. </p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, another summed it up - and echoed the majority - when they shared that they were “so happy folk supported Charlie.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

News

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"We're offering plenty": Kiwis targeted for job no Aussies want

<p>A Perth mining company has resorted to looking for workers from New Zealand after Aussies have continued to turn down roles that offer up to an enticing $300,000 salary per year – and that's for roughly six months of work in any standard 12 months.</p> <p>As a result, Mineral Resources has launched a brand new advertising campaign, geared up to attract Kiwi tradies, guaranteeing “a great pay packet”.</p> <p>“We’re offering plenty,” Mineral Resources CEO Mike Grey told NZ programme AM.</p> <p>“The incentives are amazing, and I have no doubt that our salaries double [New Zealand salaries]; in some examples, they triple.”</p> <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClX7JZZv16i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/ClX7JZZv16i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Mineral Resources (@mineral_resources)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The mining business is on the hunt for new workers to fill a range of roles including: construction, mining, operations, unskilled labour and administration.</p> <p>The firm is also recruiting higher-paying roles such as mining engineers.</p> <p>One of the highest paying jobs on offer is for construction supervisors and superintendents who can earn up to $300,000 a year.</p> <p>Workers will be required to work on a fly-in, fly-out basis. They would be flying out of New Zealand to work the mines in Perth, with roughly half of the workforce only working for six months per year.</p> <p>It’s not the first time Australian mines have struggled to find workers for highly-paid roles. Earlier in 2022, mining services firm Thiess offered new staff members a $10,000 sign-on bonus and a $5000 bonus for a successful referral.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Ever wanted to work at Australia Post? Now's your chance

<p>Australia post are gearing up for another busy holiday season as thousands of casual and permanent jobs go up for grabs.</p> <p>Aus Post have revealed they are “actively recruiting” up to 6000 new team members across the country. With no experience necessary, anyone from school-leavers to seniors are being encouraged to apply.</p> <p>“The recruitment drive for permanent and casual team members comes ahead of what’s expected to be another huge cyber sales and Christmas period,” Australia Post said.</p> <p>Top of the recruitment wish list is people who have a forklift, truck or motorcycle licence, but Australia Post said it also urgently needs people in parcel sorting and customer service.</p> <p>“Currently there are vacancies in every state and territory, with morning, afternoon and evening shifts all available – and for many roles, no previous experience is necessary,” it said.</p> <p>Australia Post executive general manager people and culture Susan Davies said the company offers competitive salaries across a wide range of roles.</p> <p>Australia Post has more than 2500 casual positions in parcel and mail processing, as well as more than 780 roles for truck drivers.</p> <p>There are also over 300 positions in customer service and about 200 for forklift drivers.</p> <p>So! If you've ever felt the urge to slam an Australia Post employee in the past, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is and get apply for a position there yourself.</p> <p>All the details are on the Aus Post <a href="https://auspost.com.au/jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Why employers should be hiring over-60s

<p>This age group is loyal, experienced and the fastest growing labour market in Australia, so why aren’t more employers hiring workers in their 50s and 60s? Here’s why they should.</p> <p>There has never been a better time for jobseekers in their 60s to jump back into the workforce, with the government announcing it will chip in $10,000 to business owners who employ workers over the age of 50. The decision to expand the senior employment incentive payment scheme was announced in the 2019 budget.</p> <p>This will see business owners receive $3000 followed by a second $3000 payment if they keep a mature worker in employment for 12 months. A further $2000 will be given to those who keep over-50s employed in the workplace for 18 months until a final payment of $2000 is provided if they employ the person for over two years.</p> <p>Heidi Holmes, managing director of jobs board for jobseekers over-45 <a href="http://adage.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adage.com.au</a>, says mature age workers offer a number of benefits to business owners. “Mature age workers offer a great return on investment for employers as they will reward employers with loyalty, increased productivity and also take less sick days,” she reveals. “Research has shown a mature age worker will stay with an organisation up to 2.5 times longer than a young employee.”</p> <p>Sydney-based retirement coach <a href="http://www.peterblackcoaching.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Black</a> agrees, adding that these workers are motivated to work because they’d like to continue learning and engaging with other people, as well as to boost their retirement savings.</p> <p><strong>A growing talent pool</strong> <br />It’s no secret that Australia’s population is ageing, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics predicting that by 2041 one in five people will be over 65 and seven per cent of the population will be over 80.</p> <p>Ms Holmes says employers can no longer afford to neglect this talent pool as the 45-plus market represents the fastest growing labour market segment in Australia. “Often employers haven’t considered the mature age workforce as a separate talent pool they need to target directly,” she explains.</p> <p>“Unconscious bias against mature age workers may also be playing a part in mature applicants being screened out of the application process. Hiring managers and recruiters need to be educated on the benefits mature age workers bring to the table in order to tackle any negative bias that may exist.”</p> <p>While illegal, age discrimination continues in Australia. The Fair Work Ombudsman welcomed a court ruling in April this year when two Thai restaurants on the Gold Coast were fined nearly $30,000 for telling a worker that he would be terminated on his 65th birthday. The worker had a good employment record at the restaurant over a number of years.</p> <p>Mr Black says age discrimination continues, as does misperceptions about the motivation of mature workers. “Younger managers and human resources professionals don’t appear to value experience. However, companies like Bunnings and the banks are recognising the value of older workers in communicating with front-line customers,” he explains.</p> <p>“Also, a declining pool of total workers due to baby boomers retiring over coming years will necessitate employers to relook mature workers to accommodate their growth needs.”</p> <p>Michael O’Neill, chief executive of consumer lobby group <a href="http://nationalseniors.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Seniors Australia</a>, is another industry representative who has been vocal in encouraging the government and the corporate sector to tackle community attitudes towards workers in their 50s and 60s, as well as promoting workplace flexibility.</p> <p>Currently, older job seekers are unemployed for an average of 71 weeks compared to younger workers with an average of 41 weeks. If there was just a five per cent increase in paid employment of Australians over age 55 it would add $48 billion to the economy a year, according to research by the Human Rights Commission.</p> <p><strong>More support is needed</strong><br />Age Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan says the government needs to do more to ensure older Australians will have the same opportunities as everyone else to access paid work. While the staggered $10,000 incentive for employers to hire a person over 50 is encouraging, it doesn’t shift the entrenched cultural attitudes and structural barriers that exclude older workers from the workforce.</p> <p>Training and development of older workers is important if people in their 50s and 60s are to have a chance of either remaining or returning to the workforce. On top of this, employers need to realise the benefits of maintaining their older workers for more years in the job.</p> <p>“This might require workplace flexibility and some retraining,” Commissioner Ryan explains. “Government has a role in supporting a more positive and productive approach to longer working lives.”</p> <p>It’s a win-win for both businesses and those looking for work. Unlike some workers in the younger generations, people over 50 place a higher value on job security and are motivated to perform to the best of their ability. This offers a great return on investment for employers, especially small businesses, who would not only benefit the most from the cash incentive but also from an employee who research shows stays in a job longer.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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How we invented ‘unemployment’ and why we’re outgrowing it

<p>When Labor leader Anthony Albanese couldn’t quote Australia’s unemployment rate in the first week of the election campaign, many said it didn’t matter: the Australian Bureau of Statistics figure was “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/employing-the-numbers-when-the-official-rate-is-rendered-meaningless-20220412-p5acyv.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meaningless</a>”; “<a href="https://nitter.net/headshaker2/status/1513344714640003073#m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fudged</a>”; “<a href="https://headtopics.com/au/i-m-not-sure-what-it-is-albanese-stumbles-on-unemployment-rate-and-cash-rate-25505788" target="_blank" rel="noopener">manipulated</a>”; and didn’t count <a href="https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1483973901252456454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all those who had registered for JobSeeker</a>.</p> <p>The truth is the official measure of unemployment does what it says on the box. It counts those without any work who are available to work and looking for work.</p> <p>The result of an astonishingly large survey of <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-the-election-gaffes-australias-unemployment-rate-is-good-news-and-set-to-get-even-better-by-polling-day-181141" target="_blank" rel="noopener">26,000 households</a> covering 50,000 people each month, there’s little reason to question its accuracy.</p> <p>But there are good reasons to question why the bureau does it in the way it does.</p> <div data-id="17"> </div> <p>“Unemployment” as we have come to understand it is a fairly new concept.</p> <p>As I outline in my book, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/inventing-unemployment-9781509952717/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inventing Unemployment</a>, before the second world war censuses tended to divide the population differently – into breadwinners and dependants.</p> <p>A breadwinner who wasn’t employed would be recorded as a breadwinner rather than unemployed (with their usual occupation noted).</p> <p>That’s probably because until the 20th century, irregular work was the norm.</p> <p>Late-19th-century Sydney had no extensive manufacturing. Work such as wool washing, tanning, meat preserving and loading sea cargo was seasonal and tied to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5263/labourhistory.108.0071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rural rhythms</a>.</p> <p>Even in more stable occupations, many workers were little more than or sub-contractors or day labourers, their work intermittent.</p> <h2>Unemployment as we know it</h2> <p>The 1947 census introduced three distinct categories: employed, “unemployed” and “not in the labour force”. To be “unemployed” you had to describe yourself as willing and able to work, but without work.</p> <p>Carried into the quarterly labour force surveys which started in the 1960s and continue monthly to this day, the change enabled the creation of an <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/explainers/unemployment-its-measurement-and-types.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unemployment rate</a>, which is the number of unemployed divided by the total of the number of employed and unemployed, which is called the “labour force”.</p> <p>The categorisation made more sense by then as work was becoming full-time and ongoing. Being “unemployed” (workless but in the workforce) had come to be seen as unusual and worthy of government support. The Curtin Labor government introduced <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2019/August/Creating-unemployment-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unemployment benefits</a> in 1945.</p> <p>The changes were in line with International Labour Organisation recommendations which themselves followed changes in the United States which in 1937 had asked all non-workers who’d expressed a desire to work whether they were able to work and were actively seeking work.</p> <p>The context was United States President Franklin D Roosevelt’s determination to fight unemployment through job creation schemes. The advantage of the new measures was that they gave a measure of immediate unmet demand for work.</p> <p>Excluding both those who were unwilling to work at present and those who had any work at all yielded a measure of the minimum number of jobs needed. Policy drove the definition rather than the other way around.</p> <h2>Messy by design</h2> <p>But the definitions were messy. Labour markets confound easy distinctions between working and not working, and there’s no particular degree of desire for work that clearly distinguishes the “unemployed” from “not in the labour force”.</p> <p>Looking back, what was exceptional about the post-war decades is that most of the time the new definitions were easy to apply. If you were in work, the chances were you were in full-time work; if you weren’t in full-time work the chances were you weren’t working at all, and that you were either wanting work or none.</p> <p>And the idea of the “labour force” summed up fairly stable social categories: men who entered at 15 years and were expected to work or look for work for 50 years, and women who also entered in their mid-teens only to permanently withdraw upon marriage or childbirth.</p> <p>Not now. As social researcher <a href="https://www.radstats.org.uk/no088/Threlfall88.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monica Threlfall</a> points out, whereas once the labour force was an identifiable category,</p> <blockquote> <p>today it is more like an unbounded space that a variety of people of different ages enter, leave and re-enter at a variety of rates.</p> </blockquote> <p>When the headline monthly unemployment rate changes, what has moved is often not the numerator – the number of unemployed – but the shape-shifting denominator, which depends on whether people define themselves as looking and available for paid work at the particular time they are asked.</p> <p>And the main questions don’t pick up underemployment. Australia has one of the largest part-time work forces in the OECD, which is why the Bureau of Statistics also asks workers whether they would like more hours, and reports the answers alongside the unemployment rate.</p> <p>It also measures “discouraged workers”, people who are available for and wanting work but have given up the search and so aren’t counted as “unemployed”.</p> <p>The only way to really understand whether we are succeeding or failing in providing paid work is to take all three measures together – unemployment, underemployment and the count of discouraged workers.</p> <h2>Messier by the month</h2> <p>What this total tells us will be quite different to the count of the number of Australians on unemployment benefits.</p> <p>After tracking each other closely, the number of “unemployed” and the number on unemployment benefits has diverged over the past 25 years and that divergence became even more pronounced during COVID.</p> <p>Australian experts <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-more-people-be-on-unemployment-benefits-than-before-covid-with-fewer-unemployed-australians-heres-how-181733" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Whiteford and Bruce Bradbury</a> point out most unemployed people aren’t on benefits, and increasingly unemployment benefits are available to people who are not unemployed.</p> <p>These days unemployment benefits are available to people not seeking paid work but engaged in voluntary work, study, or providing home schooling.</p> <p>And people who once would not have been considered unemployed – such as single parents and people with disabilities – are now put on unemployment benefits and required to search for work in order to get them.</p> <p>After holding together for decades, the post-war administrative and legal construction of unemployment is failing us. We’re outgrowing it.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-we-invented-unemployment-and-why-were-outgrowing-it-183545" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"She didn't add any smiley faces!" Woman fired for not using emojis

<p>A Queensland woman has won an unfair dismissal case, after the ex-wife of the business owner demanded she was fired immediately over sending a text message that didn’t include any smiley face emojis.</p> <p>According to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), Phoebe Wang who was overseeing her ex-husband’s Sens and Goya cafes on the Gold Coast had smashed her phone on the counter, jumped up and down while screaming “Kristen Gordon must be fired” immediately after receiving messages from her about a staffing issue.</p> <p>Ms Gordon had been employed by the business for about 14 months and was a casual working full-time hours. Part of her job included rostering staff and time sheets.</p> <p>Her colleague, who was there at the time of the incident, told the FWC she asked to see the messages to understand why Ms Wang was so angry however, she found the messages to be normal.</p> <p>Allegedly, Ms Wang said that Ms Gordon was arguing with her because there were no emojis included.</p> <p>Ms Gordon told the FWC that she had been told Ms Wang repeatedly stated she “didn’t add any smiley faces! There are no emotions!”.</p> <p>Ms Gordon went on to say she was unaware her “completely reasonable text message” had caused so much upset.</p> <p>The next day after working a full shift, Ms Gordon was told by a manager they were forced to dismiss her. Fair Work Commissioner Chris Simpson concluded that Ms Gordon was dismissed at this point, despite any attempts for it to appear otherwise.</p> <p>Commissioner Simpson ordered Sens Catering Group Pty Ltd to pay Ms Gordon $5357.80, plus 9.5% superannuation.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Woman awarded $131,000 after not being invited to work drinks

<p dir="ltr">A waitress has been awarded a whopping $131,000 after not being invited to work drinks. </p> <p dir="ltr">Rita Leher said that she felt “shunned” by her colleagues at a London casino when they didn’t invite her to a cocktail bar.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 51-year-old, who is older than her colleagues and has worked at the casino for 10 years, took stress leave after hearing the plans being discussed in front of her and not receiving an invite. </p> <p dir="ltr">Rita, who also happens to be of African descent, issued a complaint to the employment tribunal on the basis of race and claimed the victimisation was due to her age and ethnicity.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We unanimously agree that being excluded from discussions at work about a social occasion amongst colleagues when one would normally be included would subject an employee to a detriment at work," Employment Judge Sarah Moor said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"A reasonable employee would consider that such exclusion was to their disadvantage because they had lost the opportunity to bond with colleagues on that social occasion.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The occasion was sufficiently linked to work by the fact that it was amongst work colleagues and was discussed at work, and would provide the opportunity for team bonding.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Rita was subsequently awarded £74,113.65 ($131,000) in compensation on the basis of injury to feelings and loss of overtime and financial loss. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Returning to work after time off? 7 tips to get you back in the game

<p>Returning to work after time off, planned or unplanned, can be extremely daunting and even a little unnerving. You find yourself having to prove your abilities again and brace yourself for potential rejection. Your vulnerabilities are on high alert!</p> <p>You might not realise it, but while you were out of the workforce, you most likely developed new habits, patterns, priorities, and even ways of thinking. You quite possibly even gained more clarity on your professional direction.</p> <p>The necessary readjustment and compromise are only the beginning of getting yourself workforce ready. However, it’s not as intimidating as it may seems, so set those alarm clocks and follow these seven tips to help make your transition that much easier!</p> <p><strong>1. Self-confidence</strong></p> <p>This will be the lynchpin to your success. It will help you perform better at your interview, land your job, and adjust faster to your new environment. However, possessing the necessary self-confidence when returning to the workforce may be easier said than done.</p> <p>When feeling vulnerable, negative thoughts and self-doubt are likely to make themselves heard and loudly so. Don’t allow them to take any space in your mind! If you need a positivity boost, get excited! Consider all the things you have to look forward to: new colleagues, work social events, time to read on your commute, extra finances! Visualise yourself happy and successful in your new role and use positive affirmations about yourself and your future. It works!</p> <p><strong>2. Returnships</strong></p> <p>Yes, it’s a thing! Depending upon the length of time you have been out of the workforce, this could assist with sharpening your skills, lifting your self-confidence and paving a gradual return back to work. Just like internships, they help you in being workforce ready. A lot of prominent organisations such as Ernst &amp; Young, Deloitte, and Macquarie Group offer these programs.</p> <p><strong>3. Explain your career gap</strong></p> <p>Address this in your cover letter (e.g. parental leave/sabbatical), and be sure to list all the benefits gained (new skills/knowledge acquired), and mention ‘where you are now’, i.e. readiness, commitment and enthusiasm in returning to work. In your CV, add a one-line explanation in the appropriate section where the gap is.</p> <p><strong>4. Technology</strong></p> <p>Our world is changing rapidly, and understanding technology is becoming even more essential. We saw the importance of this during the pandemic. Moving meetings to ‘online platforms’, such as Zoom, became the preferred method of communication. Ensure you are familiar with the technology needed for your job and to interview remotely.</p> <p><strong>5. Your CV</strong></p> <p>Have that ready to go! The job market moves fast. When you see an appealing job advertisement, send your application as soon as possible (i.e. the same day!). Waiting until you have freshened up your CV, reformatted, shown it to others etc., can cost you the job. Make sure your CV is a maximum of three pages, has all your contact details on it and has been proofread for any mistakes, spelling, grammar, formatting etc.</p> <p><strong>6. LinkedIn and social media</strong></p> <p>LinkedIn is your professional bible. Ensure you have an ‘all-star rating’, meaning your profile is completed for maximum impact (LinkedIn provides free tutorials to help you). Reach out to your contacts and network to let them know you are looking and available for work. You would be surprised at the power of connection. Before applying for any role, conduct a social media audit on yourself. Make sure you are comfortable showing anything that is on public display.</p> <p><strong>7. Be organised</strong></p> <p>If you need childcare, have this set up and ready to go. It would be a shame if you could not start your new job or have to delay your start because you cannot find suitable childcare arrangements. Be ready and available. Be aware when answering your phone. Answer with a professional voice, even if you are scrambling after your toddler or taking the dog for a run. First impressions count. If a hiring manager leaves a message for you, call back as soon as possible (the same day, but preferably within the hour). The same applies to email. If you are contacted via email, respond straight away and professionally. Remember, you are not messaging your friend. Take the time to construct a friendly and professional reply email. It may help you to stand out–for the right reasons. And, of course, be readily available to interview!</p> <p>Perhaps, most importantly, show your enthusiasm to return to work. Hiring managers want to see you are excited and motivated. This is the kind of employee that companies, managers, and teams want to have in their environment. Returning to work after time off is simply another ‘change’ we experience in the different cycles of our lives. By following these tips, you’ll give yourself the very best chance and opportunity to succeed!</p> <p><em>Roxanne Calder, author of ‘Employable – 7 Attributes to Assuring Your Working Future’ (Major Street $29.95), is the founder and managing director of EST10 – one of Sydney’s most successful administration recruitment agencies. Roxanne is passionate about uncovering people’s potential and watching their careers soar. For more information on how Roxanne can assist you in your career visit <a href="https://est10.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.est10.com.au</a>.</em></p> <p>Image: Shuttersttock</p>

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Supercheap Auto "hero" flooded with job offers after being stood down

<p>The Supercheap Auto worker stood down after confronting a shoplifter won’t have to look too far for another job – after his bold act has made him a prime candidate to other employers.</p> <p>The man appeared in a viral video captured outside a Gold Coast store in which he attempted to apprehend a woman pushing a pram covered by a blanket.</p> <p>After they both struggled to take control of the pram, a box was knocked to the ground from under the blanket and the woman said: “You can have the f***ing rotor mate.”</p> <p>The pram was filled with stolen goods, and didn’t contain a baby at the time. After being hailed a hero online for his ballsy approach, it has been revealed that he was in fact stood down while the incident was being reviewed internally.</p> <p>As Supercheap Auto faced backlash over its decision, other companies have since rushed to put in a good word with the worker in the hope of poaching him for themselves.</p> <p>Rival store Autobarn in Burleigh Heads was the first to offer him a new job, with owner Michael Farrar saying he was just the type of employee he was looking for.</p> <p>“His actions showed to me that he is a loyal person and someone we would want on our team,” he told Gold Coast Bulletin, adding his store had about $15,000 worth of items stolen in the last two years.</p> <p>Car wrecking business Southport Auto Recyclers has also thrown its hat in the ring, posting online offering him an interview.</p> <p>“If anyone knows him tell him to DM us or tag him, we would like to interview him for a position should he require one!” an employee wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>“After watching the video it’s crazy that Supercheap have stood him down after the commitment to them he demonstrated!”</p> <p>The video on TikTok alone has been viewed more than 5.5 million times since being uploaded last week.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

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Passive-aggressive shop sign sparks furious debate online 

<p>Furious debate has erupted after a shop owner took aim at Gen Z workers in a brutal sign blaming them for their business having to close.</p> <p>The obviously frustrated owner shared in great detail why a pair of young former employees were the reason the doors had to close.</p> <p>“I apologise for us closing AGAIN,” the sign, erected on the front window of a store in Indiana, USA, on April the 20th, read.</p> <p>“My two new cashiers quit because I said their boyfriends couldn’t stand here for their entire shift.”</p> <p>They went further to include some questionable hiring advice for other business owners, telling them: “Don’t hire Gen Zs, they don’t know what work actually means”.</p> <p>Underneath, they announced the store was “now hiring”, but specified it would be employing “Baby Boomers only thanks”.</p> <p>The sign sparked backlash online, after it had been shared around online.</p> <p>With Hundreds of people responding in comments to the post, after it had attracted over 5000 reactions and had been shared over 300 times, some agreed Boomers made better workers than their younger counterparts, but others argued it was unfair to age discriminate.</p> <p>“A lot of the older people I’ve worked with refuse to do anything physically demanding due to having a ‘bad this’ and ‘my this hurts’ and if asked to do so they will whine and complain,” one wrote.</p> <p>“That's a pretty awful and ageist sign. I’m pretty young and I work 48 hours a week and never sit once while I’m on the clock. There are people who are young and hard working,” another said.</p> <p>Most respondents agreed that regardless of whether a certain generation had better workers, openly discriminating against Gen Zs was the wrong way to go.</p> <p>“I’m a boomer and I wouldn’t want to work at a place that excludes people because of their youth. Good workers can offer service with vitality and enthusiasm at any age,” one person wrote.</p> <p>Others agree the sign hadn’t done the store owner any publicity favours.</p> <p><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

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Couple receives $3000 from Aus Post for botched deliveries

<p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">Australia Post has been forced to pay out over $3000 to a Melbourne couple after drivers repeatedly failed to deliver parcels to their home for over a year during the pandemic.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">Wayne Short and Veronica Libson took the postal giant to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in December to seek compensation, claiming that Australia Post failed to deliver parcels to their home and continued sending them to the local post office instead.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">Mr Short said some of the parcels contained important items such as medication for their daughter, who is waiting for a liver transplant, and other contained goods for their hire party business.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">He told the tribunal that the issues began in 2019, when the couple started experiencing difficulties getting parcels delivered to their home.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">Despite filing a complaint directly to Australia Post at the time, it was not responded to.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">Then in March 2020, the couple were undertaking renovations on their stairs and Mr Short said delivery drivers couldn’t safely deliver parcels for a week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">However, after the renovations were completed the parcels were still not delivered, with the driver claiming they were still unsafe to climb.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">After this, Australia Post drivers stopped delivering parcels altogether, instead sending SMS messages to the couple to pick up their parcels at the post office.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">In June of the same year, the couple filed a second complaint, this time to the local post office. The manager reassured Mr Short that the issue would be sorted out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">A few days later, a heated argument erupted between Mr Short and a delivery driver at the couple’s home.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">When the driver handed over the parcel, Mr Short then told the driver they were tired of tracking down all their other parcels. The driver responded by taking back the parcel and telling Mr Short they could “go pick up their own parcels”.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">According to the tribunal, Mr Short lost his temper, grabbing the parcel abc and telling the driver to “get the f**k off his property”.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">After the incident, all deliveries apart from their normal mail ceased.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">As for how the compensation was calculated based on how long it took the couple to collect their parcels.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">Having found that they spend around 30 minutes travelling to the post office every week between June 2020 and December 2021, VCAT member Neil Campbell calculated the compensation of $3100.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">He said the tribunal found the deliveries were “not undertaken with due care and skill” as they were “not delivered to the residential address” and there was “no basis for them not to be”.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">In a statement shared with <em style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;vertical-align: baseline"><a style="background-image: initial;background-position: initial;background-size: initial;background-attachment: initial;margin: 0px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;vertical-align: baseline" href="https://7news.com.au/business/australia-post/australia-post-ordered-to-pay-3000-to-melbourne-couple-over-botched-deliveries-c-5556891" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News.com.au</a></em>, a spokesperson for Australia Post said the company respected the tribunal’s decision.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline">“Australia Post respects the decision of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and can confirm that parcel delivery has recommenced to the address,” they said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline"><em style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;vertical-align: baseline">Image: @auspost (Instagram)</em></p>

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10 ways New Zealand employers can turn the ‘great resignation’ into a ‘great recruitment’

<p>Internationally, and especially within the US, there has been a lot of talk about the so-called “<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/great-resignation-accelerating/620382/" target="_blank">great resignation</a>” – the trend seeing large numbers of workers leaving their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, having reevaluated their priorities or simply because there are more opportunities than ever before.</p> <p>While there isn’t enough firm data to confirm this is happening in New Zealand yet, there is little doubt a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/457103/skills-shortages-top-challenge-facing-company-bosses-survey" target="_blank">chronic skills shortage</a> has given workers more bargaining power. Perhaps not surprisingly, <a rel="noopener" href="https://news.aut.ac.nz/news/the-great-resignation,-nz-style" target="_blank">research</a> shows more and more workers are at least thinking about either changing or quitting their jobs since last year.</p> <p>But this phenomenon – defined as “turnover intentions” – could also fuel what we’re calling the “great recruitment”. After all, as physics teaches us, for every action there is a reaction.</p> <p>Calling it the great recruitment is obviously related to the sheer volume of recruitment activity that logically follows a great resignation. But it is also a reference to the related importance of a positive – great – recruitment experience for potential employees.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435205/original/file-20211202-25-bujsov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption"></span> <em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></p> <p><strong>Not a negative trend</strong></p> <p>Classic supply and demand principles tell us that if more workers are seeking greener employment pastures, there will be more ready-to-hire talent in the marketplace. For that reason alone, we urge organisations not to consider the great resignation a negative trend in the job market.</p> <p>Of course, to be successful the great recruitment must be supported by businesses that prioritise the recruitment process, from candidate care to the vetting and hiring team, to the use of technology and protecting the organisation’s reputation and brand.</p> <p>However, there are many practices that not only undermine but entirely defeat the positive potential of a great recruitment, including:</p> <ul> <li> <p>“<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/02/17/a-new-study-by-indeed-confirms-that-ghosting-during-the-hiring-process-has-hit-crisis-levels/?sh=7bdd556599c4" target="_blank">ghosting</a>”, where candidates apply for a role but get no response or experience a sudden silence part way through the process</p> </li> <li> <p>posting vague or corny job descriptions – “customer services expert” anyone? – that do nothing to excite or provide context for potential applicants</p> </li> <li> <p>relying too heavily on quasi-scientific personality profile tests and asking questions that are at best tokenistic, at worst discriminatory.</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Making recruitment great</strong></p> <p>We also see recruitment processes stumble at the last hurdle by engaging in Game of Thrones-style salary negotiations, where candidates feel like they’re challenging a noble family. This is particularly disadvantages <a rel="noopener" href="https://hbr.org/2020/07/stop-asking-job-candidates-for-their-salary-history" target="_blank">women</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.employeenetworks.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Pou-Matawaka-Final-Report-Ethnic-Pay-Gap-March-2019-for-release-.pdf" target="_blank">ethnic minorities</a>.</p> <p>How then to ensure your organisation is capturing the talent potential released by the great resignation and maximising the employment potential of the great recruitment? Here are our top 10 tips:</p> <ol> <li> <p>Choose your words carefully: write inspiring, authentic job advertisements. If your recruitment team can’t do it, get someone who can.</p> </li> <li> <p>Be realistic: create reasonable candidate specifications – wanting extreme levels of skill, attitude and experience is likely put off good candidates.</p> </li> <li> <p>Canvas others: when designing employee value propositions, get input from recruiters and current employees.</p> </li> <li> <p>Remember glass houses: recognise there is no such thing as perfect behaviour when using behavioural-based interview questions, especially given the organisation itself may be questionable in some of its conduct.</p> </li> <li> <p>Consider the context: give due consideration to reference check results – if a candidate’s last boss says he or she was disconnected in the end, perhaps it’s because they were already in a high state of turnover intention.</p> </li> <li> <p>Go back to the future: be open to hiring past employees. Initiatives such as alumni programmes can be used to connect with and recruit former employees.</p> </li> <li> <p>Know your team: be open to conversations about the attributes and attitudes of the person a successful candidate will be reporting to, and the team they will be working with.</p> </li> <li> <p>Be technology wise: use automated recruitment technology (such as SnapHire, JobAdder or QJumpers) to enhance – not replace – an integrated people-oriented recruitment experience.</p> </li> <li> <p>Provide <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/salary-most-important-part-job-ad.aspx" target="_blank">clear pay ranges</a>: if an applicant knows what the pay is from the outset, it saves everyone valuable time and energy.</p> </li> <li> <p>Be gracious: formally thank all candidates for applying – this can help ensure you retain them as future applicants and/or customers.</p> </li> </ol> <p><strong>Great expectations</strong></p> <p>With more talent in the market, those in recruitment will need to sharpen their games. Given much recruitment activity is outsourced and many recruiters will be booming in the current climate, organisational clients should have great expectations of recruitment professionals, too.</p> <p>Employees face enough challenges in their working lives without having to endure a recruitment experience that is anything less than great.</p> <p>Finally, the great recruitment must also account for future talent. Before we know it, the <a href="https://www.webwise.ie/parents/explainers/explained-what-is-roblox/">Roblox</a> generation will be hitting the workforce, already adept at digital creation and collaboration, and expecting similar things from recruiters.</p> <p>If we get it right, the great recruitment is a chance for employers to recast the great resignation as an opportunity for everyone to do better – now and into the future.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172952/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/candice-harris-611631" target="_blank">Candice Harris</a>, Professor of Management, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/auckland-university-of-technology-1137" target="_blank">Auckland University of Technology</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jarrod-haar-521652" target="_blank">Jarrod Haar</a>, Professor of Human Resource Management, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/auckland-university-of-technology-1137" target="_blank">Auckland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/10-ways-new-zealand-employers-can-turn-the-great-resignation-into-a-great-recruitment-172952" target="_blank">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Tribunal rules AGAINST Centrelink

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A tribunal has ruled against Centrelink’s decision to cancel an 80-year-old man’s pension and have labelled the move as “absurd and wrong”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Administrative Appeals Tribunal criticised Centrelink in a judgement published this week, after the agency cancelled the man’s age pension despite him not having “the capacity to comprehend … a decision to suspend his pension”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David Fry has advanced dementia and lives in a nursing home, with the tribunal hearing that his son, John, was appointed his legal guardian after David was found driving on the wrong side of the road and deemed to be “mentally incapacitated”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result, John Fry became responsible for liaising with Centrelink on his father’s behalf.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David had been receiving the pension from Centrelink since 2006.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, his payment was cancelled in May 2018, after John failed to provide updated details for one of David’s superannuation accounts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tribunal heard that John was finding it hard to obtain the required information and was unfamiliar both with Centrelink’s processes and his dad’s finances. He called the agency and the pension was reinstated.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the payment was once again suspended in September for the same reason, and was totally cancelled in December.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before the payment was cancelled, Centrelink sent a final letter regarding the issue with David’s super, but sent it to him rather than his son.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tribunal found that this letter had no legal effect because Centrelink knew David “did not have the mental capacity to be aware of, let alone respond to, the requests”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Centrelink later wrote to both men to advise them that the pension was cancelled because “we did not receive a reply to the income stream review letter we sent you”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In his ruling against the agency, tribunal member Roger Maguire said it was “difficult to contemplate a person who might be more vulnerable than a hospitalised septuagenarian suffering from dementia”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maguire acknowledged that John failed to comply with the agency’s notices, but noted that it was partly because he had “no knowledge of his father’s financial affairs” and was made his father’s legal guardian “against his father’s will”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“His father was not forthcoming with information, and this placed him in a situation of particular difficulty,” he </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/17/centrelinks-cancelling-of-80-year-olds-age-pension-absurd-and-wrong-tribunal-rules" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Centrelink is allowed to suspend or cancel payments if a person fails to comply with notices, the agency does have the ability to obtain information from a person’s financial institution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In David’s case, Centrelink didn’t seek out that information, cancelling his payment instead.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The agency argued that the decision was “rational and proportionate”, but Maguire found it to be “absurd and wrong”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Centrelink also argued against paying David for the months where his pension was cancelled - between December 2018 and approximately January 2020 - because the cancellation wasn’t appealed within 13 weeks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the tribunal ruled against Centrelink after finding evidence that John had called the agency three times in October.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the reasons for his calls weren’t recorded, Maguire said it was “fairly obvious he wasn’t phoning up to try and organise a golf game”.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Neurodiversity can be a workplace strength, if we make room for it

<p>Emma can recognise patterns within complex code. James can develop several different solutions when faced with complicated problems. But it is unlikely either will find a job where they can put their specialist skills to work — or any job, actually.</p> <p>Emma has dyslexia. James has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These conditions mean communicating can be a challenge, particularly in a stressful situation such as a job interview. They may also find it difficult to work in a typical office environment with noise and bright lights.</p> <p>But often the significant challenges is other people assuming they will be less capable or difficult to work with.</p> <p>About 15-20% of the <a rel="noopener" href="https://academic.oup.com/bmb/article/135/1/108/5913187" target="_blank">global population</a> are “neurodiverse”. This term, coined by Australian <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.autismawareness.com.au/news-events/aupdate/in-conversation-with-judy-singer/" target="_blank">sociologist Judy Singer</a> in 1998, conveys <a rel="noopener" href="https://autismawarenesscentre.com/un-adopts-new-goals-disabilities/" target="_blank">the idea</a> that the neurological differences shaping how people think and interact are natural variations to the human genome. Neurodiversity therefore isn’t something to be “fixed” but understood and accommodated.</p> <p>But despite this understanding, and the gains made more generally in promoting workplace diversity, prejudices keep the employment prospects for neurodiverse individuals shockingly low.</p> <p>The cost is personal — denying individuals the chance to do meaningful work — as well as social, sending individuals to the dole queue. It also means workplaces are failing to benefit from highly valuable employees, and missing the opportunity to become better organisations in the process.</p> <p><strong>What neurodiversity covers</strong></p> <p>Neurodiversity is often referred to as an ‘invisible disability’ and covers a range of conditions. The most common are:</p> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder</strong> (or ADHD) manifests as inattention, distractability and impulsivity. It affects about <a rel="noopener" href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/social-economic-costs-adhd-Australia.html" target="_blank">4% of children and 3% of adults</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Autism Spectrum Disorder</strong> (or ASD) typically involves degrees of difficulty in communicating with others and sensory overload. About <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.autism-society.org/what-is/facts-and-statistics/" target="_blank">1% of the global population</a> is estimated to be on the spectrum, with higher rates being diagnosed among children.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Dyslexia</strong> involves difficulties with reading and spelling. There is no agreed diagnosis. Estimates of its prevalence range from 3% to 20% (with <a rel="noopener" href="https://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/dyslexia-in-australia/" target="_blank">10-15%</a> commonly cited).</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Dyspraxia</strong> involves challenges with coordinating physical movements, including muscles for speaking. About 2% of the population are severely affected, with <a rel="noopener" href="https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/92/6/534.full.pdf?casa_token=s2n80xJNuhAAAAAA:kzF2QsFQRlR_rmpi80YkV9N8Lp8YT9bIXb1cwOEbaiZUm3f5KfRO4xPk8_F2YoXm6-bM7rHANPkqIQ" target="_blank">6-10%</a> estimated to be affected to some degree.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Dyscalculia</strong> involves challenges with numbers. It affects <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4461157/" target="_blank">up to 10%</a> of the population, with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dyslexia.uk.net/specific-learning-difficulties/dyscalculia/" target="_blank">3-6%</a> commonly cited.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Tourette syndrome</strong> causes involuntary physical and vocal “tics”. It affects an estimated <a href="https://tourette.org/spectrum-tourette-syndrome-tic-disorders-consensus-scientific-advisors-tourette-association-america/">0.6% of the population</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>High unemployment</strong></p> <p>The capabilities of neurodivergent people can vary considerably from severely challenged to gifted. Some are nonverbal and fully reliant on care givers. Others have special abilities in things such as <a rel="noopener" href="https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage" target="_blank">pattern recognition, memory or mathematics</a>.</p> <p>Yet even those with exceptional talents find it hard to get and hold a job. While unemployment estimates are imprecise, they suggest these conditions are the least accepted in the working world.</p> <p>For autistic adults aged 16-64, for example, UK statistics suggest <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/articles/outcomesfordisabledpeopleintheuk/2020" target="_blank">78% are unemployed</a>. This is the highest unemployment rate of any group, compared with 48% for all disabled people and 19% for all adults.</p> <p>Australian statistics put the unemployment rate for people with autism <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/latest-release">at 34%</a>. That’s still more than three times the unemployment rate of 10% for people with disabilities and almost eight times the 4.6% rate for people without disabilities.</p> <p><strong>Supporting neurodiversity at work</strong></p> <p>One problem, as Joanna Szulc and her fellow researchers at the University of Huddersfield <a rel="noopener" href="https://pure.hud.ac.uk/en/publications/amo-perspectives-on-the-well-being-of-neurodivergent-human-capita" target="_blank">have put it</a>, is “management practices frequently overlook the relationship between the above-average human capital of neurodivergent employees, their subjective well-being in the workplace and performance outcomes”.</p> <p>In other words, with understanding colleagues and a flexible work culture, neurodiverse individuals can reach their potential and be recognised as highly valuable employees.</p> <p>One case study demonstrating this is professional services giant Ernst and Young, which globally employs close to 300,000 people.</p> <p>In 2016 it established its first “<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ey.com/en_us/diversity-inclusiveness/how-neurodiversity-is-driving-innovation-from-unexpected-places" target="_blank">Neurodiversity Center of Excellence</a>” as part of a pilot program to offer jobs to neurodiverse candidates.</p> <p>The company says it “considered business metrics only” in evaluating the program. It concluded the neurodiverse employees were comparable to neurotypical staff in work quality, efficiency and productivity. The bonus was “the neurodiverse employees excelled at innovation”.</p> <p>Australia’s Department of Defence has employed high-performing autistic individuals in its <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.defence.gov.au/annualreports/16-17/Features/CyberCapabilityTalentAutism.asp" target="_blank">cyber security</a> work. Their strengths for this work include “a remarkable eye for detail; accuracy and consistency; a logical and analytical approach to detecting irregularities; pattern-matching skills; and a high tolerance for repetitive mental tasks”.</p> <p>These lessons are being taken on board by others. In July, Google’s cloud computing division announced its <a rel="noopener" href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/inside-google-cloud/google-cloud-launches-a-career-program-for-people-with-autism" target="_blank">Autism Career Program</a>, which includes training up to 500 managers “to work effectively and empathetically with autistic candidates”.</p> <p>We all vary naturally. By understanding and encouraging neurodiverse individuals to be fully engaged in society, we will all reap the rewards.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164859/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/miriam-moeller-357407" target="_blank">Miriam Moeller</a>, Senior Lecturer, International Business, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a>; <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dana-l-ott-1252533" target="_blank">Dana L. Ott</a>, Lecturer, International Management, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-russo-1252532" target="_blank">Emily Russo</a>, Industry Fellow, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/neurodiversity-can-be-a-workplace-strength-if-we-make-room-for-it-164859" target="_blank">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: <span class="attribution"><span class="source">igor kisselev/Shutterstock</span></span> </em></p>

Mind

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The one quality Steve Jobs always looked for in employees

<p>Do you have what it takes to land a career that can make you a millionaire before you retire? Sure, you can perfect your resume, dress to impress, and nail the trickiest interview questions. But odds are, you’re probably forgetting one rather underrated quality – and for the late Steve Jobs, it mattered much, much more than a polished CV.</p> <p>In a rarely seen interview, a then-young Jobs revealed that when he was first hiring professional managers for Apple, he quickly learned that “most of them were bozos.” “They knew how to manage, but they didn’t know how to do anything,” he added.</p> <p>So, from there on out, Jobs began to value a different trait in job candidates. “We wanted people who were insanely great at what they did, but were not necessarily those seasoned professionals,” he said. “But who had at the tips of their fingers and in their passion the latest understanding of where technology was and what they could do with that technology.”</p> <p>In other words, forget job experience; Jobs wanted passionate people on his team, instead. Why, you ask? Not only can enthusiastic employees manage themselves, but they also understand the company’s mission – and strive for that common goal with earnest.</p> <p>To find employees with this type of passion, the Apple team interviewed each job candidate by presenting a Macintosh prototype and noting his or her reaction. “We wanted their eyes to light up and to get really excited,” Andy Hertzfeld, one of Apple’s first software engineers, said. “Then we knew they were one of us.”</p> <p><em>Written by Brooke Nelson. This article first appeared on </em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/what-steve-jobs-looked-for-in-an-employee"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.com.au/subscribe"><em>here’s our best subscription offer</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Retirement Income

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“I want to serve time in jail”: Accountant confesses to stealing $500k from employer

<p>A former accountant who stole more than half a million dollars from her employer to fund her extravagant lifestyle has been jailed after telling police she wanted to spend time in prison.</p> <p>Donna Zanin, 42, was ordered to serve two years and three months behind bars on Tuesday after she admitted to siphoning $551,451 from the company’s finances.</p> <p>The accountant pleaded guilty last month to six counts of theft, which was carried out in 57 individual transactions ranging from $2,000 to over $20,000 between November 2014 and January 2019.</p> <p>Zanin had been the only financial manager at the Schnitz food chain until she was made redundant in a 2018 company restructure. She was later re-hired on a contract basis.</p> <p>The new financial head Regan Cheriton noticed the suspicious transactions and told Zanin on June 6, 2019 that he was working with ANZ to investigate them.</p> <p>Zanin confessed to the thefts at Richmond police station the day after, showing the 34 international flights bought with the stolen funds on her passport.</p> <p>She also sent an apology text to Schnitz founder Roman Dyduk, saying: “I’ve decided I’m ruining my life and have been enacting a plan to ruin my life for some time.</p> <p>“I sound insane but I will serve time in jail. I want to serve time in jail. I’m at the police station now confessing.”</p> <p>County Court judge David Sexton said while Zanin showed significant remorse, he was “somewhat bewildered” by her explanation.</p> <p>“You told police in that interview that you had been stealing money from your workplace for an extended period of time and you had been waiting to get caught,” he said in the Melbourne County Court on Tuesday, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/schnitz-accountant-stole-500k-told-cops-she-wanted-to-go-to-jail-20200630-p557md.html">The Age</a></em>.</p> <p>“You had spent the money mostly on extravagant holidays, expensive restaurants, alcohol.</p> <p>“You also provided a sustained and detailed narrative about wanting to get caught, wanting to self-sabotage, purposefully stealing an extreme amount of money and knowing you would probably go to jail.”</p> <p>Judge Sexton said Zanin’s offending was a significant breach of trust and seriously affected the family business Dyduk built with his sons.</p> <p>Zanin will be eligible for parole after 16 months.</p>

Legal

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About that spare room: employers requisitioned our homes and our time

<p>Working from home during COVID-19 appeared to cost us little.</p> <p>Yet employers effectively requisitioned part of those homes.</p> <p>While necessary, it was far from costless to us, and our generosity shouldn’t be taken for granted.</p> <p>Bureau of Statistics figures show that during April and May about <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/4940.0Main%20Features229%20Apr%20-%204%20May%202020?opendocument&amp;tabname=Summary&amp;prodno=4940.0&amp;issue=29%20Apr%20-%204%20May%202020&amp;num=&amp;view=">half</a> the workforce worked from home.</p> <p><strong>Working at home has been far from costless</strong></p> <p>Preliminary results from a survey of more than <a href="https://melbourneuni.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8d0AaumfQREdjYp">2,000 households</a> suggest paid workers put in about as many paid hours per day as before (half to one hour less) but that unpaid work skyrocketed, by an extra <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-24/coronavirus-has-set-back-progress-for-women-workplace-equality/12268742">five hours</a> per day for women, and an extra two and a half hours for men.</p> <p>Much of the increase was in childcare. <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4940.0">Three in four</a> Australians who live with children kept them home.</p> <p>Some of it was in extra cleaning and washing, costs that for the moment (along with, for some workplaces, rent) many employers no longer needed to bear.</p> <p>Few of us working from home will bother to bill our employers for the extra heating, office furniture, office consumables, home phone and internet use, toilet paper and coffee we’ve had to fork out for.</p> <p>The Tax Office has indicated it will <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-07/claiming-tax-deductions-for-working-from-home-coronavirus-ato/12128622">disallow</a> deductions for tea, coffee and toilet paper saying, “just because you have to provide those things for yourself doesn’t make them deductible”.</p> <p>Akin to the requisitioning of assets permitted by the state in emergencies, employers have in effect requisitioned parts of our homes – rent free and without paying utility costs.</p> <p>With more people using each home, and more meals cooked and eaten at home, time in the kitchen has soared. As supermarket shopping has become less appealing, <a href="https://www.finder.com.au/best-breadmakers">consumer durables such as bread-makers</a> and freezers have been brought in. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-10/gardening-australia-costa-georgiadis-tips-for-covid-19-isolation/12132902">Backyard vegetable gardens and chicken runs</a> have popped up.</p> <p>Most of the extra work has fallen to women. Surveys often understate it by asking only about the “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/D_Ironmonger/publication/267420848_There_are_only_24_Hours_in_a_Day_Solving_the_problematic_of_simultaneous_time/links/547562780cf2778985aecbd2/There-are-only-24-Hours-in-a-Day-Solving-the-problematic-of-simultaneous-time.pdf">primary</a>” activity in each quarter hour block rather than secondary activities (which often include childcare) undertaken at the same time. Multitasking intensifies work.</p> <p><strong>How do we make it count?</strong></p> <p>In an explosive book released more than 30 years ago entitled <a href="https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/counting-for-nothing">Counting for Nothing</a>, New Zealand politician and economist Marilyn Waring described the dominant method of accounting for work as “<a href="https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2018/may/1525096800/anne-manne/making-women-s-unpaid-work-count#mtr">applied patriarchy</a>”.</p> <p>The tool is gross domestic product (GDP), a measure that mostly only takes account of work that is paid.</p> <p>The point was that unpaid household work and care counted for nothing.</p> <p>Since then, time use surveys have found that non-market household production is very large – in Australia, equivalent to an extra <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/PrimaryMainFeatures/5202.0?OpenDocument">half</a> of GDP.</p> <p>This matters, because its exclusion allows GDP to give us a distorted idea of progress.</p> <p>In each normal year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forecasts growth in developed nations of between 2% and 4%.</p> <p>That’s growth in gross domestic product. OECD calculations released in 2018 suggest that as much as a <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/including-unpaid-household-activities_bc9d30dc-en">third</a> of that growth – 0.84 to 1.79 percentage points – is an artefact, created by the shift from what had been <a href="https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=1457">unpaid household work and childcare</a> into to paid household work and childcare.</p> <p>That is, the official figures have presented a mirage. Parents have replaced unpaid childcare – which is not counted in GDP – with paid childcare, which is counted.</p> <p>The switch has been recorded as “growth”, but it hasn’t been growth in work done or services provided. It is better described as accounting rather than economic growth.</p> <p>If the accounting was done properly – if countries such Australia properly counted the value of unpaid household and services – it would show much lower growth and more frequent recessions.</p> <p>And if our environment and resources (another omission except when they are exploited) had been properly accounted for, GDP growth would be lower again.</p> <p>The household services artefact has been reversed during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many of us have been doing as much or more than we did, but less of it has been counted.</p> <p>As it happens, the value of services provided by the home itself are included in GDP, through rent for renters and “imputed rent” for home owners. Home-grown produce is included as well, but unpaid human-provided services are not.</p> <p><strong>It’s as if it didn’t happen</strong></p> <p>The weak <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-economy-in-7-graphs-how-a-tightening-of-wallets-pushed-australia-into-recession-139960">March quarter GDP result</a> strengthened calls for extra spending on infrastructure – things such as <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/miners-urge-company-tax-cut-to-spark-investment-boom/news-story/15c64624989f6823b2104b23aa0950d0">mines</a>, <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/gas-action-plan-sets-up-clash-over-price-20200528-p54x69">pipelines</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/super-bid-for-melbourne-airport-rail-set-to-fail-despite-treasurer-s-push-20200610-p5516g.html">fast trains to airports</a>.</p> <p>Days later the prime minister announced that childcare would no longer be free and JobKeeper for childcare workers would be replaced by a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-08/free-childcare-coronavirus-support-to-end-july/12332066">less generous subsidy</a>.</p> <p>It’s not what might have been expected after a historic opportunity to rethink productivity and wellbeing. Putting money into the care sector creates <a href="https://wbg.org.uk/analysis/investing-2-of-gdp-in-care-industries-could-create-1-5-million-jobs/">twice as many jobs per dollar</a> as putting it into construction. A higher proportion of investment in the care sector also flows to women, whose paid work has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/which-jobs-are-most-at-risk-from-the-coronavirus-shutdown-134680">disproportionately hit by the shutdown</a>.</p> <p>Things that would help include increased worker protection against <a href="https://www.futurework.org.au/working_from_home_in_a_pandemic_opportunities_and_risks">white collar sweatshops</a>), expanded and reconfigured tax deductions for working from home, a paid allowance for <a href="https://www.genvic.org.au/media-releases/parents-victoria-and-gender-equity-victoria-call-for-home-school-allowance/">home schooling costs</a> during the shutdown and a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/jacinda-ardern-flags-four-day-working-week-as-way-to-rebuild-new-zealand-after-covid-19">shorter working week</a> to rebalance roles at home.</p> <p>Behind everything should lie proper accounting for care work. Without it we are likely to continue to rely on the generosity of unpaid working women, acting as if it is free.</p> <p><em>Written by Julie P. Smith and Fiona Jenkins. Republished with permission <a href="https://theconversation.com/about-that-spare-room-employers-requisitioned-our-homes-and-our-time-139854">of The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Legal

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Self-employed Australians’ hours have fallen 32% since coronavirus hit – double the impact on all employees

<p>pandemic, with total hours worked across the economy officially <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-it-not-for-jobkeeper-unemployment-would-be-11-7-up-from-5-2-in-one-month-heres-how-the-numbers-pan-out-138268">falling 9%</a> between early March and early April 2020.</p> <p>Our analysis, using data from the quarterly <a href="https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/research/publications/hardship-distress-and-resilience-initial-impacts-covid-19-australia">ANUpoll</a>, suggests the self-employed have been hit harder, with average weekly hours dropping by almost a third between February and April 2020. More than eight out of 10 self-employed Australians say their profits have taken a significant hit.</p> <p><strong>Decline in hours worked for the self employed</strong></p> <p>The ANUpoll is an important economic and social barometer in Australia because it is a longitudinal survey – polling the same group of people multiple times throughout the year. This enables a more accurate snapshot of how individuals are being affected.</p> <p>The <a href="https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/research/surveys/anupoll">data we are releasing today</a> was collected from 3,155 Australians between April 14 and April 27.</p> <p>It shows the 32% drop in hours worked by the self-employed (from 35.2 to 23.8 hours) was about double that of all employees, whose hours declined by 16% (from 35.5 to 29.7 hours).</p> <p>The following infographic illustrates the degree of decline for all the self-employed in the poll (about 240 people). The blue dots above the red line show those working more hours in April; those below the line show those working less. Note the number at or near zero.</p> <p>Almost a third said their business would be unviable if financial trends continued for two months. If trends persisted for six months, 40% doubted they could survive.</p> <p><strong>The impact on savings and wellbeing</strong></p> <p>The proportion of self-employed saying they were finding it difficult or very difficult to survive on their current income increased from 29% to 36%.</p> <p>This contrasts with an aggregate improvement among employees, most likely due to higher payments for those on lower incomes, such as the A$750 given to social security recipients.</p> <p>21% of self-employed respondents said they had accessed retirement savings or superannuation early, compared with 7% of employees.</p> <p>Among those thinking their business was unviable, 69% reported feeling anxious and worried, compared with 59% of those thinking their business was viable. Life satisfaction was also lower (5.6 out 10 compared to 7.0).</p> <p><strong>What does this mean for the self-employed in 2020?</strong></p> <p>Current policies includes a large amount of targeted assistance for the self-employed. Without that assistance, the outcomes summarised above would be far worse.</p> <p>As physical distancing restrictions are eased, it will be important to continue to monitor how the self-employed are faring to ensure the level of government support is sufficient and well-targeted.</p> <p><em>Written by Matthew Gray and Nicholas Biddle. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/self-employed-australians-hours-have-fallen-32-since-coronavirus-hit-double-the-impact-on-all-employees-138718">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Beauty & Style

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The real work-life balance

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Far too many Australians are stressed at work and it’s taking a toll on our physical and mental wellbeing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), one in five workers suffers from some form of mental illness whether that be depression, anxiety, stress disorders or suicidal thoughts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Untreated mental health conditions cost Australian workplaces approximately $10.9 billion every year. The importance of easing this stress and anxiety is clear. But is the solution as simple as cutting down on work?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shannah Kennedy, life coach, corporate speaker, author and co-creator of the Master Class of Wellness, a program that empowers professionals to reach their highest potential, says you can have a successful career and achieve a happy, balanced life without giving up your work.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re taking our work with us everywhere we go these days. Work-life balance isn’t about having lots of time off work, it’s about blending our work and recreation to where we feel we have a sense of control over our health - mentally, physically and emotionally,” she says.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy says we are often to blame for pushing ourselves too hard. One way we do this is that we don’t set clear boundaries on how we use technology and there is often no separation between our work life and our personal life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Checking phones next to our beds, checking our emails constantly affects the neural pathways for addiction. So people aren’t sleeping properly, they are overwhelmed by information and there is no off switch,” she says.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The inability to say no to people’s requests when we really should be looking after our own interests is another contributing factor. We quite often put others’ interests ahead of our own trying to be the best family member, employee, or friend that we can be. Kennedy calls this the ‘disease to please’ and it’s a habit that has to be broken if we are going to find a better work-life balance.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many people may not even be aware that they are stressed, caught up in what Kennedy calls the ‘treadmill of life’. Telltale signs include sleep apnoea, overreacting to situations and having thoughts that replay in your head constantly. You may also find that you’re not really present in your relationships, may have high blood pressure or have trouble tasting your food.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those close to retirement age can be particularly at risk of stress and anxiety as they often haven’t prepared for life beyond work and find themselves having to contemplate starting all over again. “Many have forgotten to work on their friendships and hobbies and have to start from scratch when they retire,” says Kennedy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But by managing your workplace stress you can become more productive at work and a healthier, happier and more inspired version of yourself. Follow these key strategies to begin your transformation.</span></p> <p>How to find a better work-life balance</p> <p>Learn to say “No”</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We fear rejection and we fear missing out, but it’s important to realise that you can’t do everything without it having a detrimental effect on you,” says Kennedy. But how can you say no without offending people? Kennedy says it’s about being nice first. “Thank the person for their invitation and then say ‘unfortunately I can’t make it this time’. Use the time to do something that helps you rest and rejuvenate instead,” advises Kennedy.</span></p> <p>Have a plan and track your time</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Track your time with a timetable and include work but also activities such as yoga, meditation and social catch ups that improve your mind, body, hobbies and relationships. You should schedule this time in the same as you would important business meetings, advises Kennedy. “Book in the asset first. You are that asset in life and it’s about protecting that asset and booking time out to work on and with that asset,” says Kennedy.</span></p> <p>Have technology boundaries</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t sleep with your phone next to your bed and incorporate technology blackout periods into your day. Not checking your work emails will make you feel calmer, but you will also find you become more productive, free from distractions like social media. “From 8pm at night in my house, it’s phones and tablets switched off. Similarly, phones and devices are kept off until after exercise and breakfast and that gives us time to switch off too,” says Kennedy.</span></p> <p>Move your body</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise is a perfect stress release and has the added benefit of keeping us fit, healthy and reenergised. Instead of coming home from work and having more ‘screen time’, invest in your body by going for a walk or taking an exercise class. You will feel more refreshed when you do have to tackle those stressful work deadlines.</span></p> <p>Breathe deeply</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy calls this her big secret that allows her to perform better and without stress in her working life. “Most of the population use only 30 per cent of their lung capacity. They are not maximising the oxygen intake into their bodies and their brains so they can’t think; they can’t make decisions,” she says. To reap the benefits of life-giving oxygen take five deep breaths three times a day. “You can change your whole mental state if you learn how to breathe properly,” says Kennedy.</span></p> <p>Use technology to help you</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t be a slave to technology. “Make it your slave and become more productive,” says Kennedy. Program your phone’s calendar with things that are non-negotiable to you and set your phone to notify you when you should be doing them. “That means my yoga, my walk, my friend time, my finances. When you get a notification to do your finances for example, you know you can’t go to bed until you finish them,” Kennedy says.</span></p> <p>See a life coach</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bring some extra help into your life by finding a life coach. “A qualified life coach can help educate you about how to better manage your work-life balance and then help you create the structure you need to be the best version of yourself by helping you improve your health, wellbeing, your family life and career,” says Kennedy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Dominic Bayley. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/health/wellbeing/the-real-work-life-balance.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au</span></a></p>

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