Workplace
Positive discrimination is, if not dead, at least on life support with an overeager nurse reaching for the off switch.
That’s according to a decent-sized survey out today that found two thirds of Australia’s bosses will not mandate that females be included in shortlists for senior management positions.
I reckon I wouldn’t be alone in turning a blind eye to that nurse, and wanting quotas put out of their misery. There are much better ways to achieve workplace diversity.
Continue reading "Time to put ‘positive discrimination’ down?" »
We live in a world where economics is valued. People in business get paid more than in most other professions. Yet business fails to recognise the talents of women. Repeatedly. Only 2 per cent of the ASX200 CEOs are female.
I’m old. I’m a baby boomer and was an expert in Affirmative Action in its early days. Affirmative Action is of course an oxymoron. Here in Australia we had no such thing as mandated affirmative targets for women in business or any kind of mandated action much at all.
Recent research by The Reibey institute in Australia showed that ASX500 companies with more women directors make more money for shareholders. Return on Equity was 9.2 per cent versus an average 4.5 per cent. Those with no women on boards made a measly return of 0.5 per cent.
Continue reading "Are women caged in a masculine workplace?" »
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SarahK says:
Love this article! Positive discrimination is still discrimination! And discrimination against “best person for the job”, male or female. We aren’t creating a society where everyone is treated fairly and equally, we are simply giving the upperhand to those based on gender regardless of suitability. Absolutely love this article, so… Read more »
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Tanya says:
@ Craig (formerly Sean): Quid Pro Quo! I bet you’re multilingual - you’d have to be working with SAP! Now there’s a beast I know nothing about. I have to fly - just scored an OS gig in a part of the world where the shopping is fabulous - I… Read more »
I reckon the Internet has turned the average person into an outsourcer and even “offshorer”. A shirt made here, self-designed wedding invitations printed there – too easy.
In fact, I sometimes find that the same person who rants about jobs going offshore tells you with glee how they got something made cheaply overseas.
I have mixed feelings about outsourcing. Moving jobs to Australia’s regional cities = good; improving standards of living in developing nations = good; Australians losing their jobs = bad; workers exploited here or anywhere = bad.
Continue reading "The only problem with outsourcing: We don’t get it" »
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RyaN says:
Fact is that you pay import duties on items manufactured overseas. The items value is based on raw materials and work hours. The same should apply to imported work hours, a company who outsources should have to make a declaration much the same as tax (and can be investigated) where… Read more »
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Sharkjumper says:
Before you assume that outsourcing is purely a response to the high cost of labour in Australia, please consider the following. Outsourcing is often an easy/lazy way of compensating for poor onshore products. I worked for what was once one of Australia’s largest telcos and watched as a series of… Read more »
Well, I suppose you all want to hear about my week off.
While that enormous pile of paperwork and the steady stream of emails filling your inbox tell me you don’t have time for that, your eyes - which are slowly glazing over - tell me otherwise.
So, random colleague I smiled at last Tuesday, allow me to brighten your day with my mediocre tales of special fishing spots, scorching heat, scooter-related near-death experiences and bronzed backpackers.
Continue reading "I know you didn’t ask, but my holiday was SUPER GREAT!" »
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Anne71 says:
Chongy!!!!! Was wondering where you’d got to! Read more »
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Anne71 says:
Chongy!!!!! Was wondering where you’d got to! Read more »
Masculinity is in crisis again, apparently. In a polemic against the contemporary women’s movement, Josephine Asher cries out for men trapped under the weight of feminism and sympathises with our “instinctive hunger for power and purpose”.
Embracing the biological determinism that scientific inquiry dismissed long ago, Asher returns to the false assumption that clearly defined roles for men and women exist independently of culture.
Why fight our physiology? What good is equality if men are miserable? It must be the case, Asher suggests, that we are going against nature.
Continue reading "We’re not that different: A feminist man strikes back" »
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Is the pursuit for gender equality sucking life out of relationships?
Instead of harnessing the different qualities of men and women to energise us, we are striving to make men and women equal.
More women are joining the battle for the CEO’s chair and pursuing dominance in their homes and communities. But in the process they’re becoming more like men. And men are becoming… well, less like men.
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Dan says:
Not unequal, just different. Read more »
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Dan says:
Not unequal, just different. Read more »
If dedicating yourself to a job and having a complete lack of elegance is manly, well then - call me Bruce.
Josephine Asher has plenty of support for her argument that men are becoming less manly and women less womanly. Gender is getting bendier. But is that a bad thing?
Once upon a time men and women had much more well-defined roles. Man works. Woman does housey-type stuff. Now such simplicity is only seen in detergent commercials.
Continue reading "We’re not turning into each other, we’re just chilling out" »
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Servaas says:
Before deciding whether men are less manly and what women are becoming shouldn’t we first define what manly is? In this article it seems that for some the definition of a man is someone who gets really drunk and do silly things and that if a woman does something similar… Read more »
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marley says:
RayG - I see very little point in continuing this discussion. Your anger and bitterness is not something I care to deal with. I have done nothing to you, or to anyone, to warrant the opprobrium. If you choose to see people in terms of rigid stereotypes, and not as… Read more »
My Granny, bless her, still thinks computers are science fiction. She’s a remnant of a very different world- one where doctors wouldn’t blink if you packed your pillow with asbestos, then lit a smoke while rocking your darling little one to sleep.
It was also a world where “sexual harassment” was science fiction.
The recent Kristy Fraser-Kirk suit sparked some intense discussions in the workplaces and pubs around the nation. Some men saw a dangerous and unholy precedent on the horizon which threatened to ignite a wave of similar (and possibly frivolous) suits. Others saw justice and the protection of a woman’s right to feel safe at her place of work.
Continue reading "The DJs case wrote fear into the rule book for young men" »
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Steve_of_Cornubia says:
@notSue: There must be two of you, because the writer of the second post clearly didn’t write (ore read) the first. Oh, and the harrassment didn’t end there, nor was it the same women subsequently. As a (very) young fellow working in a factory that employed 50% women, I and… Read more »
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notSue says:
@ Eric and Steve. Beg to differ again, gentlemen. I did not dismiss the incident Steve quoted as “unimportant”. In fact, I applauded Steve for making his co-workers aware of his reaction to the gift, thereby fforestalling any further incidents. Yes, the women were sensible in recognising that their action… Read more »
Wake up. Snooze, sleep. Repeat 3 times (may vary). Get out of bed. Wash (optional). Breakfast (optional). Coffee (necessary).
Take ironed shirt from night before, tuck into pants. Place belt around said pants. Get tie fitting right, add shoes, hair and makeup (optional).
Wallet, keys, iPhone/Blackberry/mp3 player and out the door.
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Kenelm says:
That’s 2 cleevr by half and 2x2 clever 4 me. Thanks! Read more »
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Chuck says:
Nope, happens in Brisbane to me a lot. I figure it’s code for “too many dudes, not enough chicks in here” Read more »
In the world of employment, the growing skills shortage is like a low, black cloud building on the horizon.
While the GFC slowed the demand for labour it didn’t change the fact our workforce is ageing. In a few years more people leaving the workforce in Australia than joining it.
As workplace age management expert Alison Monroe quipped recently, “the only thing that changed during the GFC is that boomers got two years closer to retirement.”
Continue reading "Gen Y might rule the world sooner than we thought" »
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SoylentGreen says:
I am convinced that between the corporate welfare rorts, plutocracy money funnel to the rich, corrupt government, exploding population and the ever degrading ability of the planet to sustain 7-11 billion people that the Gen-Y group will inherit a shyte sturm. The little kiddies are in big trouble. http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/ Read more »
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Forgotten generation says:
This article just shows how vapid some generational discussions can be. A global shortage of labour is on the horizon - i’d say any company want to remain competitive has to do everything it can to attract and retain people regardless of gender, age or generation. The article neglects two… Read more »
This is not a facetious question. Boards all over Australia, those same boards whose population includes just 9 per cent women, will be looking without envy at David Jones this morning after publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk announced she was suing the company for $37 million.
Fraser-Kirk was the young woman who’s complaint of sexual harassment against then-CEO Mark McInnes prompted his sacking in May.
A lot of people in the corporate world would be thinking this morning “they sacked him, what more does she want?”
Continue reading "What should the DJs board have done instead?" »
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tinuis says:
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Gimpy883 says:
I’m gimpy Read more »
Rumours are rife last night’s dramatic plunge on the Dow Jones was caused by a Citigroup trader who accidentally sold a billion shares in Proctor and Gamble instead of a million.
That little decimal point drama might have been what wiped about a trillion dollars off US stocks before they recovered again quite quickly. You could call it a “Barnaby on steroids.”
We all make mistakes at work, but when most of us stuff up we don’t send the world financial sector into cardiac arrest. What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done at work, that had consequences beyond your own yearly review?
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wake up to the manipulation says:
As if. More like a “Turnbull” More Goldman Sachs intervention. Read more »
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Rich says:
I broke the Internet once. Just for a short time. Read more »
Anyone who has watched the news or listened to the radio over the past few weeks would have heard of the inquest into the death of Channel Ten newsreader Charmaine Dragun, who committed suicide at the Gap in 2007.
From all reports Charmaine was an intelligent and bright young woman who had a promising career ahead of her as a television broadcaster. However, she was troubled and ultimately this became too much for her to bear.
Charmaine’s career was in the electronic media, an industry with its own special pressures, egos and preference for perfection. The media is competitive – absurdly so – and I imagine it was unlikely anyone dealing with self doubt and anxiety would feel comfortable discussing their situation and reaching out to a colleague for support.
Continue reading "Suicide prevention is everyone’s problem" »
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Amy says:
To All Interested Parties on the Subject of Suicide! I found Mr. John A. Neve’s comments are the “most reliable and honorable” among other comments replying to Mr. Neve’s views, values, and understanding about “personal freedom, personal dignity, and personal rights” including the “Right to End Your Own Sufferings and… Read more »
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Marita says:
It seems to me that a number of people are commenting on this issue when they have no idea in the slightest, of what mental illness really is or what it feels like to suffer from a depressive illness. I also think that some of you need to think, and… Read more »
While you are dining out or at the shops over the summer holidays, spare a few minutes to think about the young person serving you and how their rights at work have changed over the past two years.
Two years ago, that person was working under WorkChoices. Chances are they had no protection from unfair dismissal and little or no job security. It was possible they were employed on an Australian Workplace Agreement, which had stripped their minimum conditions to the bare basics.
Their employer could simply ignore them if they and their workmates wanted to join together to collectively bargain for better pay and conditions. And if they chose to join a union or even ask a union into their workplace, they ran the risk of harassment and discrimination from their boss.
Continue reading "Libs still hope the WorkChoices zombie can rise" »
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Jay T says:
You have go to give it to this rudd govt. Nothing has happened in the last two and a bit years since they have been in. Workchoices was killed for a new ‘reform’ that has left many full time people now on casual employment. More people unemployed, three consistent rate… Read more »
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Douglas says:
Only the NAME WorkChoices is dead. The ideology and the intention to impose it is as strong as ever in the Liberal-National Coalition. Read more »
I have a friend - let’s call him Jeffery - who has been anonymously toiling at the same company for two thankless years.
Last week, he decided he wanted out, and applied for a job at a funky new ‘web 2.0’ outfit. Mild and self-effacing, poor Jeffery had no idea of the ordeal that awaited him.
I got a call after the interview. The voice on the other end sounded sad and despondent. ‘I really stuffed up’…
Continue reading "What are your hobbies? And other stupid questions" »
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Nic says:
I haven’t had too many asinine questions, I’ve had the “Where do you see yourself in five years” one but I think everyone has to endure that at some point or another. But during her graduate jobs hunt, my sister got asked which character from friends she would be. And… Read more »
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kimmeh says:
I once got. “Do you believe in Christmas?” I still don’t know how to answer this. Read more »
There is nothing like an Equal Pay Day to make a man see red.
Writing on Tuesday about research that claims women earn 17.5 per cent less than men in Australia, I drew the wrath of blokes from around the country.
That figure came from the Australian Bureau of Statistics but was used by the newly formed Equal Pay Alliance of 135 organisations to make their point.
Continue reading "Men can’t keep it level when it comes to equal pay" »
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Mark says:
There is no logical reason why there are not more Catherine Livingstones and Gail Kellys out there Well lets start with Applications for Job, Has there been any look at all at the number of creidble applications for Top level jobs? If 40 men and 5 women applied for 2… Read more »
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Mandy Black says:
You are such a fantastic writer Kate, great story. Could it be that some of us have not moved on from the past? I mean our parents, their parents and so on, was all in the mine set that the man went to work and the women stayed home.Therefore a… Read more »
In the September 2009 issue of US Harper’s BAZAAR, an interview appeared with Karl Lagerfeld, creative director of the Chanel fashion house, answering interview questions in the persona of legendary designer Coco Chanel.
When asked the question “Your clothing liberated women in the 1920s. Are you still a feminist?” Lagerfield ‘channeling’ Coco said “I was never a feminist because I was never ugly enough for that.”
But why is it that feminism and fashion seem to be mutually exclusive?
Continue reading "You can still be a feminist in four-inch heels" »
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Sadhbh says:
I love this piece, I’m a feminist who loves my heels and makeup - when I choose to wear them. It’s all about choice. It also keeps reminding me of that wonderful quote on Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire - “Sure he was great, but don’t forget that Ginger Rogers… Read more »
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Heather Smith says:
Your article has provoked an interesting discussion - you go girl! Read more »
One of the great benefits of representing a regional electorate is the opportunity to attend many local shows.
Whether it is Mount Barker, Mount Pleasant, Strathalbyn or Kangaroo Island – shows represent what is great about regional Australia – although you can take or leave the Dagwood Dogs.
But there is a danger lurking for these regional celebrations in the form of yet another bungled Rudd Government “reform”, a danger that threatens the very survival of the small regional shows.
Continue reading "Your local country show is under threat" »
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stephen says:
I love backpackers. They’re different. (maaate) Read more »
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stephen says:
Instead of the Government regulating businesses, why don’t the people do it. A website could be set up, naming recalcitrant corporations and enterprizes which abuse their authority toward workers. The website would be specific, and consumer pressure would be brought to bear. Read more »
The spread sheet is well laid out and user friendly, with a simple Wimbledon-style draw where after six rounds a clear winner is declared and the top eight rankings are listed on a league table.
It is elegant and efficient in its design, as you would expect from a product created inside one of the world’s biggest accounting firms.
Headshots of the contestants appear to have been sourced from the mega-firm’s intranet but the prize isn’t a silver trophy like at the All England Lawn Tennis Club – it’s the honour of being named the hottest chick in European office of Deloittes.
The only difference between this and what happened on board the HMAS Success is that this 2007 spread sheet was probably viewed by thousands of people around the world, instead of a handful of sailors who likely didn’t get anywhere near the bunks of their documented prey.
Continue reading "Your daughter could do worse than join the Navy" »
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Steveo says:
Were any seaman discharged? Read more »
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Chloe says:
Oh My God! just get over it. FS is so right. I’m a female and besides the immature stories i’ve been told, i still want to join the navy. AND the many women who i know that have joined the navy, have never experienced horrible and disgusting behaviour and neither… Read more »
It has been reported in recent times that the proportion of women on corporate boards and in the top management of Australia’s leading companies is actually shrinking has come as a shock to many.
Australia was once ranked second only to America in the number of top companies with a woman senior executive, and we now fall last on a list of comparable nations including New Zealand, Britain, South Africa and Canada.
In Australian about 55% of the top 2000 companies have at least one woman in an executive management position – compared to 85% in the US.
Continue reading "Some women just don’t want to break the glass ceiling" »
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eve says:
I work in the media and of all the companies I have worked for (mostly small, with less than 100 employees) none has supported flexible work practices. Not surprisingly most women that had babies didn’t come back. The dads that left at 5pm were looked down upon. At a time… Read more »
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Ben says:
‘We even “gifted” the world with one of the most outspoken feminists ever in Germaine Greer.’ ... and we’re still very, very sorry World. Please forgive us. I think it is simply the fact the current generation of women in childbearing age range want to do the ‘mum’ thing right.… Read more »
Please, don’t regard me warmly. I’m not that nice. And why are you offering your best wishes? It’s not my birthday. I enjoy ‘cheers’, but it makes me feel like a drink, even in the morning (and that can’t be good).
How you sign off your emails shows more about your personality than you realise.
‘Warm regarders’ tend to be touchy-feely types who used to watch Oprah (but are now ‘turning’ for Ellen), do scrapbooking and believe in reiki.
If aged over 40, she’s an eccentric middle-aged lady, draped in purple, muttering quietly to herself.
Continue reading "Email sign-offs: Cheers, best, farewell, get a mullet up ya" »
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Paulus says:
I’m confused as to why you should sign off fully in an e-mail anyway? Unless you are working for a large nameless company who has a crappy e-mailing setup, your name is already on the e-mail, so why the double emphasis that it was you who sent it? I got… Read more »
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bam says:
“with love and respect”.... that’ll shock em. Read more »
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