Super!

Turns out that 8 out of 10 people accept whatever super fund their employer recommends.  Now, I’m no financial planner but that sounds crazy!

From my experience, the funds my employers in the past have recommended have been attached to the big banks or are retail funds (which generally have a reputation for charging high fees). 

You don’t rely on your employer to tell you what car or house to buy? So why would you rely on them to tell you where to keep your superannuation – a reserve of your funds that should one day amount to over $400,00!

When you change jobs do you:

•    Accept the new super fund?
•    Roll over money from old super funds?
•      Provide details for your super fund when you start a new job?

Your Superannuation nest-egg will be (for most) the biggest investment in your life! Why would you not be engaged with where and who your money is with?

Disclaimer: I am no financial planner, this is not financial advice.  I am purely bringing to your attention questions you need to ask of yourself.

References:  http://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2014/sep/24/super-funds-banks-union-gravy-trains

Preach to the Unconverted

I could have gone to an International Women's Day breakfast on Friday.  Why didn't I?  Because any of the speakers that morning would have been preaching to me what I already know ... that women are still not being treated equally, either at home or in the workplace. Sure, I could have learnt a few new stats, but no matter how you cut it, it's still the same root issues.

Organisations that buy tables at these International Women's Day functions should really have some sort of plan for who should attend. (Not run around/mass spam employees desperately trying to fill these seats).

Of course, anyone who wants to go should go, but, attending a breakfast is not going to narrow a nearly 20% pay gap.  Awareness is the first step. This is what the networking sessions should be used for. Those who are already converts, should be championing for changes back in their workplaces.

So, who should be tapped on the shoulder to attend?

1. Middle managers - those responsible for teams at the front line. It's your people who require work/life balance, who ask for pay rises, who negotiate salaries at time of appointment.
2. Self-proclaimed non-feminists or those who don't believe in a gender pay gap or flexible work.
3. People being counselled for discrimination.
4. The leadership or management team - lead by example.
5. The grads (graduates) fresh out of uni - the pay gap starts after year 1 in the workforce.

Business Dictating when to have a Family

You can tell a lot by an organisation by the perks and incentives it offers its employees. Only a few weeks ago, Virgin announced a very generous perk of unlimited leave*.

I heard today that both Apple and Facebook are adding to the ‘perks’ of working at their companies, the option to freeze women’s eggs.

Of course it is offensive when the choice of a woman (or a man) is taken away or even hinted at.   

However, it’s not the freezing part, that annoys me about this.  It’s the fact that organisations still don’t think about structuring their work in family friendly ways.

Giving women the option (and even hinting) to defer having a family is a band aid solution as opposed to acknowledging the structural issues.  What about the extra assistance parents need in order to work? Where is the childcare close to or at the office? How do you engage parents in business goings-on while on parental leave?

I guess it is cheaper to freeze their eggs than to restructure the business and culture.  

*I am sure there are T’s & C’s attached to this, however, I don’t know too much detail.

Source:

http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/oct/14/apple-facebook-pay-women-employees-freeze-eggs

Work 2.0

The concept of 'work' and the way our workplaces function is a construct invented by males.  Women initially joined the workforce and started paid work as a result of most males leaving to go to war.  It was hoped that the women could 'fill in' until the men came back.  When the men came back, a slight concession was made for women to be able to enter paid work until they were married. It wasn't till 1950's and 60's that women were embarking on a career for themselves.

Jumping forward to present day 2013, there is a push to have greater representation of women in organisations; on board of directors, in senior management and in typically male dominated industries such as engineering and transport.  The diversity agenda (in Australia) is firmly being pushed.

Knowing that women have only been active in the labour force for over 50 years and that women still experience a 17.5% inequality of pay, can women really be given a fair go in an environment that has been typically male dominated and designed?

What if we turned things up-side-down? What would 'work' and our 'workplaces' look like if we could re-do it?  What if it were up to women to redesign the way work would work?

Over the last few weeks I've given this a bit of thought.  Here are some of my ideas.

• Joint or job sharing CEOs (leading by example is the best way to make it seen as a norm)
• Fully decked out HUB offices opening up across the city (instead of just in CBD, Sydney has a number of areas where these could open)
• Flexible work arrangements for ALL employees  
• Extend school hours till 4pm and provide less homework (the hour in school makes up for the hour doing homework but also provides parents more time at work)
• Additional sick leave days provided to those over 50 (government funded)
• Typically female dominated professions are paid much higher, entice more males into those industries
• Weed out the idea of 'gender based professions' and what constitutes gender based activities. Young boys and girls should grow up equally wanting to be nurses, teachers, researchers as well as accountants and electricians.
• Bonus not tied (or completely tied) to individual performance but to the organisations performance
• Rewrite job descriptions - take out the fluff, make it easier to understand and also make it easier to work out; part time and job sharing programs
• Having suits (and ties for men) as dress code
• 24/7 access to offices/work spaces/Hubs
• Superannuation paid for all types of leave (including; parental and long service)
• 24/7 childcare facilities
• Childcare facilities are available in proportion to where employees are located
• Improved 2-way loyalty between employers and employees
• Centralised services (I.E. procurement, admin, payroll, tax, professional development advisers) for small to medium sized businesses.  No one wants to mitigate red tape when they should be growing their business
• Laptops not desktops, greater utilisation of software, social media, video conference and communication tools.
• Proper job-for person program for skilled migrants/people on 457 visas.  No point in them coming here if there is no job directly available to them.

Will some of these become a reality with the implementation of the National Broadband Network? Through greater numbers of women on boards and government? Technology such as Google Glass going mainstream? Who know what will happen, but keep watching, it's going to be well beyond the offices and cubicles we know!


References: 
1. http://www.womensagenda.com.au/talking-about/editor-s-agenda/re-imagine-work-could-you-make-it-better-work-for-you/201306072285?utm_source=Women%27s+Agenda+List&utm_campaign=04ac0fd79b-Mon+03%2F06%2F2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f3750bae8d-04ac0fd79b-30603413
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_workforce
3. http://www.hcamag.com/hr-news/looking-for-the-ideal-worker-time-to-wakeup-177367.aspx
4. http://www.womensagenda.com.au/talking-about/top-stories/the-cost-of-being-female-64-extra-days-at-work/201309022823#.Uih1pByUlpc.twitter

Where the Loyalty Lies

With the re-appointment of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister, I slept well for the first time in 3 years and 3 days.  There is now a new hope for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to climb back up the polls and possibly win the next election. (after ex-Prime Minister Julia Gillard stepped down and retires after losing yesterday's leadership ballot).

Now we all know the environment in parliament is quite different to the environment of our workplaces.  However, one thing that both parliament and our workplaces have in common is navigating that fine line of loyalty.  Our loyalty to the party, organisation or employer and loyalty to the leader, CEO or our manager.

Political loyalty over the last 24 hours has been raised many times (even more over the last 3 years!) and it was clear that some politicians really struggled with their decision on who should be leader of the ALP, thus becoming Prime Minister.

By nature of who we are and the psychology under which we operate, we humans are social and loyal creatures. We thrive in an environment surrounded by other like minded people. We all want to belong to something and by belonging to something, we want to pledge an allegiance and our loyalty to that person or group.  In the workplace, we ideally work for an organisation who mirrors our values, surrounded by similar thinking people, channeling the same values, vision and being a team player.

What the ALP party members faced yesterday was a tug-of-war in the loyalty games.  Either loyalty to the incumbent PM (their manager) or loyalty to the ALP (organisation, employer).
It was a choice of either; a) Stick with Julia Gillard, the present PM, someone who is good with her team but has alienated the public and may greatly lose seats in the election.  Or b) Vote for Kevin Rudd, ex PM who was disposed of 3 years ago, someone who may not be the best with their team but will have a greater chance to win around the public and not lose so many seats or even possibly win the election. Ultimately, it was also a choice in age old, 'flight or fight' - fight for a chance for the ALP and their own seat's survival or flight, flee reality and continue pledging loyalty to the then PM, Julia Gillard.

In today's ever changing workplaces, our loyalties are constantly being tested. Redundancies, downsizing, mergers and takeovers, no one is really secure where they are and in some professional environments and circumstances, the only person you can really count on is yourself.  There have been many times when I have demonstrated loyalty to the organisation and or to my managers. Many times, my loyalty did not really count for anything.  Regardless of my attitude, regardless of my hard working nature.  Unfortunately, it seems to me these days that loyalty counts when money and business doesn't, or at least when budgets are not that tight and jobs are not in jeopardy.

So what did we learn today?
We all want to be loyal, we all want to be part of something bigger and want to be surrounded by like minded people. However, when the times are tough and people are scared, we retreat and question what we need in the search for self-preservation.  In tough situations, we too would question our loyalty.  We also need to remember that where you place your loyalty can determine your own success or failure. It's no wonder that loyalty is not lauded as it once used to be.



Image from: 
http://images.smh.com.au/2013/06/27/4524205/spruddspeaks27-20130627121936747447-620x349.jpg

Safety - The #1 Value for Organisations

It's becoming more and more evident the importance of organisations handling Workplace Health & Safety matters.

Workplace Health & Safety (WH&S), re-named from Occupational Health & Safety, is more than just picking up boxes with correct posture or wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 

We all have a duty of care to each other.  WH&S is reporting spills and near misses, it is checking to see the 'slip' factor on the lobby floor when wet, it is knowing the signs of fatigue, it is letting employees know that bullying and harassment will not be tolerated.

SAFETY IS EVERYONES RESPONSIBILITY.

The recent Telstra/NBN roll out is just the latest in a long line of safety scares and concerns. Lend Lease at Barangaroo, the clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh, tornado chasers in Oklahoma (who died in pursuit of 'the big one'), the truck driver ploughing into a building early in the morning, etc, etc.

I've been very fortunate with my previous employers. They have all had safety as a priority.  It is reinforced and communicated all the time, it is included in their values, it is keeping WH&S top-of-mind when pursuing strategy or undergoing any changes.

Focus on safety should not just be reserved for your immediate environment, but throughout the whole supply chain. 

The prioritisation of safety is one of the values I look for in a new employer.  Do you? 

We all need to ensure that our employer places great value on safety.  If not, challenge them, start the ball rolling yourself or leave. 

Compromises in safety is not acceptable!



References;
Summary of our WH&S law from Australian Industry Group

Images from:
http://signforce.com.au/images/s725.jpg

Inappropriate Sorry

"Sorry" doesn't always seem to be the hardest word*. Sorry seems to be quite an overused word.

The word Sorry has it's place in society.  The word Sorry is used when something is regrettable, unfortunate, sympathetic or tragic.

I've seen young women or the "good girls" (& "good boys") use the word sorry - but use it in a seemingly inappropriate way.  It tends to be used incorrectly used by those who are unassertive or those who don't want to ruin someones train of thought or when things take a tangent.  It's generally the unassertive, passive female who wants to be liked & takes on an "observer" status. I've come across this on multiple occasions especially in a professional capacity working in HR.

Sorry doesn't have a place when you feel that you're an inconvenience in a paid or professional situation.  Sorry doesn't have a place when you have a deadline & you need someone to deliver a piece of work. Sorry doesn't have a place when you need your leave (annual or other) signed off.

It's something I have been aware of when I talk or interact with others. I used to be guilty of it myself.

I will not be sorry for things that I need to get the job done. I'll ask politely but I will not be sorry that you didn't adhere to the timeline.
I will not be sorry for doing the awkward side-step when you come face-to-face with a stranger in your path. I'll smile & (eventually) move out of their way.
I will not be sorry for accessing a work related entitlements such as being paid fairly or have my leave signed off. I will ask politely, provide the necessary proof & be reasonable in my time frame for when it can be rectified.



References:
* Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word - Elton John
www.dictionary.com
http://www.thegrindstone.com/2012/10/11/career-management/apologizing-at-work-bad-369/

Equal Pay for Equal Work

The Feminist movement has pushed the "Equal Pay for Equal Work" for many years. It's still needed today with so many pay discrepancies in our work force between the genders. 

However, it's the Tennis that has got me puzzled.

A normal game of Women tennis is to play best out of 3 matches.  A normal game of Men's tennis is to play best out of 5 matches.  Last night, Novak Djokovic was the victor in an epic 5 hour match with Stanislas Wawrinka.  Would the women's matches ever reach that duration?  

No matter what round they exit, no matter if Women play 2 or 3 or the Men play 3 or 4 or 5, they get the same prize money. 

I did the maths, that's not equal pay for equal work.


References:
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/event_guide/prize_money.html

Welfare for Single Parents

It's hard & an expensive job raising children these days.  I can imagine it so much more difficult financially when its a single parent family.

It's not getting a lot of air-time but today legislation will be put forward by the government to reverse a budget decision that will put single parents (predominantly women) receiving Parenting Payments onto Newstarter Allowance (aka the dole) when their youngest child turns 8 years of age.

I'm all for the push to get people into employment, however, this is ridiculous.  It is unfair & a bad change considering how hard it is a) to find a job b) one that is flexible to suit the needs of primary aged children.

In my opinion, children should not be left at home alone till 6pm.  Children under the age of 12 let alone 10 should not have to be forced with the responsibility to open & lock up their home or to carry their house keys.  Children under the age of 12 should not be operating ovens/stoves/gas without adult supervision. Children of that age need someone to help them with homework, preparing snacks & someone to talk to at the end of a school day.

What would be more reasonable would be when the youngest child turns 12 or is in High School. The child is slightly older but also more mature.  They are more responsible & have more knowledge in how to handle sticky situations.
The government's plan would cost parents $60 to $100 a week & save the government $728 million over four years. This is the price they are putting on savings, not realising that in the meantime, single parents will have to pay for before & after school care & other childminding arrangements for school holidays.

Surely there are other savings that the government can obtain? Or at least push the age of the youngest child up.  We need to nurture & encourage our vulnerable children & to give single parents the OPTION to parent.



  Sources & Pics http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/mps-up-in-arms-over-wheat-and-welfare-20121008-279cp.html#ixzz28ktHncvj http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a08/72/2t/children-child-abandonment-laws-texas-800x800.jpg

The F-Word at Work

I'm not one to use the F-word. It's quite a harsh sounding word and is somewhat uncivilised.  It's overused and since I've become an adult, it's become so common place to use it. Seriously, its EVERYWHERE.

I accept that people use it, I even laugh if it's in a joke, however, there are few instances when I think it is completely inappropriate to use. 

It's inappropriate to use it in the presence of children (so they don't learn your bad habits), when speaking with elder people (it's quite disrespectful) and at work.

Swearing at work is very unprofessional.  Some words could even be regarded as workplace harrassment, however I find that it is the F-word that people feel that they can get away with saying it within certain context.

To me, you don't get away with it. I remember those who use it at work and think that they're slightly less professional than the others.

Reference:http://www.hcamag.com/newsletter/content/140856/

Women in Boardrooms

It seems that every time people talk about Gender Equality these days, they always bring up the fact that there are "not enough women on the board" or that "women are not well represented". I do believe that there are not enough women in senior positions or represented on a Board of Directors (BoD), but does that really mean we have to impose a mandatory number of woman on a Board? 

It all sounds a bit too affirmative action for me. 

Don't get me wrong. I DO want to see the gender gap close, however, putting a woman on a board of directors ... because she is a women, is ridiculous. What of merit? What about someones experience and the contribution they make? Imagine being appointed to a role primarily because of your gender/race/religion? It's just plain discrimination.  Merit and legitimacy must count first before tokenism.

Sourced from:
http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/executive-women/women-on-boards-addressing-the-gender-imbalance-20090903-f9pj.html

Names not Numbers

It's nice when colleagues and those higher-up remember details about you as a person, not you as your work persona.

Over the last week I have been listening to psychologists and other Happiness-at-work experts at the online Happiness at Work Summit.  The more I learn about it, the more I hear people talking about it, I really want to be part of something that creates a great atmosphere for people to go to work in. It's just so important and cannot be underestimated!

Now I know some initiatives to keep your employees engaged and happy cost money, but not everything costs money.   It can be as simple as your positive attitude to someone, your willingness to let someone speak their mind, your smile and acknowledgement of someone or in my case today, my manager's manager remembered I was going on leave and wanted to know why I was still present at a meeting.

It made me feel good for 2 reasons:

1. That he remembered. He's a busy guy and for him to remember, thats nice
2. He saw that I was committed and interested in the businesses goings-on.

Ofcourse, this then has a snowball effect on the rest of my day, talking with others, speaking with people I would normally not have spoken with and culminating in me speaking with the ANZ chairman of our company. Our company has a philosophy of small actions make big differences, today, (maybe not in the same way our company envisioned that but ...) I directly saw that put into action.

Why I'm not "Just do(ing) It"

Do you ever feel that you want it all?
That you want to do everything and that you aim to do it all within a small period of time and then ..... reality and the everyday mundane-ness hits you?
Wake, work, home, sleep.  Wake, work, home, sleep.

I long to do something more with my time but when I get home, the last thing I want to do is to sit infront of my laptop again.  I want to do x,y & z but sitting on my butt watching tv seems like the better option.  Thankfully my weekends don't end up like that, but I always find myself allocating down time on the weekend too.

Is this really the life I want? No. Is this how I see myself accomplishing what I want from my private life? No.
Why do I do it? Why does it seem like the best option? Why is pizza and wine better than an big night out with drinking and partying? Why don't I take up some mid-week hobby like I want to? (and keep telling myself.)

Yes I am lazy, but maybe its something more?  I want to do more sailing, start Toastmasters ... its the first few steps into the unknown. That is why I have not done it.  Its speaking to people I dont know and establishing a rapport with them - something I am uncomfortable with. Why do I priortise going to the gym more than that? Its because its familiar and the safer, risk-free option.

I feel I live so much of my life in the safer, risk-free area.  Once in a while I will push and rebel against it, but somehow I will end up in that place again. I will do something totally out of the ordinary, move halfway across the world, but who's ordinary is it?  Am I just benchmarking myself against other people and not bechmarking me against myself?

Busy or Effective?

It annoys me when I ask people and *cough* friends how is work and they reply "busy".

Busy...?  So...? If you weren't busy you would have been made redundant. No employer is going to hire you if you have no workload.

When I ask how is work, I want to know what projects you are working on, if you are enjoying it, how your collegues are etc. I'm not shallow in that I ask how is work like I ask how are you.


People are so obsessed with saying how busy they are and how the organisation will crumble without them.  People even compete to see who is the more busier!  "...I have a thousand projects to do! Oh yeah? I have 10,000! The winner is the person who has the most insane schedule, who rushes from one thing to the next with the energy of a hummingbird, because obviously that means he’s the most successful and important..."

"...Maybe we’re playing the wrong game — we’ve been conditioned to believe that busier is better, but actually the speed of doing is not as important as what we focus on doing...".  How about being more productive? Try being more organised. Enjoy work, take the time to realise what you are doing, work on improving it.  


Photos:
1. http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/cza0844l.jpg
2. http://zenhabits.net/

Look Up!

I learnt a very important lesson from my dad about communting when I was younger. "When you cross the harbour bridge, you drop down your newspaper and enjoy the view." Or textbook/magazine in my case.

It takes only 10 sec out of your day/what you are reading/ what you are talking about/while sleeping but can really alter your mood. Esp. if you are heading into the city, it really is the calm before the storm.

I now take heed from my dads advice and everytime i get on the bus I make sure I sit on the "correct"side of the bus so that as we cross the bridge, I am on the Opera House side.

Its something small but I dont like to take it for granted. Some people pay thousands of dollars just to get a glimpse of if and some poor others, well they will never get a glimpse of it at all!

... IBM aka I'll Buy Mine

I'm working again as a temp. for IBM. I have worked for them on and off as a receptionist for nearly 1 year. IBM position themselves very well in the B2B market and any noob would kill for a job there. IBM are EVERYWHERE! I think without IBM society would not function. IBM is linked to banks, airlines, supermarkets, telcos, you name it.

I remember the day I was offered contract work with them, I was SO excited and pumped. I was going to be the Face of IBM Australia-New Zealand HQ for the next 2 weeks. A role where I can charm and be professional while being hospitable and welcoming. I pride myself on my customer servicing and when I can't offer exceptional service, I feel like I am letting myself down and feel slightly guilty.

With the prospect of the Global Financial Crisis, IBM A/NZ cut from their budget all tea, coffee, cups, stirrers and sugar. Now I can understand that when times are tough, you have to cut back, but I feel that time and time again, from what I hear in the business news that IBM is still making record profits and exceeding targets.

My question to the IBM exec's is this ... If you expect all your major clients to meet you at your office, why can't you offer them at least a cup of tea! I would feel mighty stupid asking someone to sit and wait 15min and all I could offer them was water in a non-existent cup!

To make things worse, a new vending machine has moved in. Not easy to access and really generic, no-name tea and coffee. I can offer someone tea and coffee now, either at the client or my expense but it will be a tepid slurry.

Its an unspoken courtesy to have basic tea/coffee/water for guests and clients, even if the rest of the staff have to go without.

How can you not?

Coming out of the "end of financial year" people are yet again, encouraged to take more leave. Now this sounds absolutely crazy to me. Really crazy! Why would anyone not want to take their leave or holidays? I thought Aussies were known for their relaxed ways? I guess I'm wrong or tides have changed.

I pity the Americans so much because they are known to be limited to maximum 2 weeks. It's the prime reason why I would never work there. I really don't know how they cope especially if they have family living overseas.




I would give huge Brownie points if my employer gave me 5 weeks annual leave, plus the option of flex-time. I am a traveller and an adventurer. I cannot imagine anything worse than not thinking and looking forward to a holiday or an adventure!

... OH&Shit

I have had an overkill of OH&S practices!

Unsafe OH&S costs the Australian economy a lot, prevention is better than cure ... bla bla bla, it is still boring as shit to sit and listen to how to lift a box correctly or how good housekeeping is everybodys responsibility.

I have had lots of experience in starting new jobs, inducting new people, reading and knowing what are safe Vs unsafe practices. I have also been a fireward in one job that involved hours of training, learning and drills. From a young age, we are taught what to do in this situation and in others.

So why are people insulting my intelligence with making me regurgitate and sign off on all these forms? Why must I sit through 1 hour induction videos "learning" how to sit correctly at a PC, the dangers of RSI. There are only so many times you can listen and read these!

What is the worst thing? Seeing the diagram of the perfect posture, the dotted eye-to-PC line up. The legs sitting together at 90 degree angles, the wrists are supported. It's so stupid, not all companies pay for the extras like wrist supports or the foot wedge. Why cant the company sign off on it to ensure i get one? Why dont they make sure these is soap in the toilet? What about getting rid of the office idiot to stop my blood pressure rising? Buy a toaster that works so I dont have to stick the knife into it to get my piece of toast out?

I dont want to see these videos any more. I will bring in my own previously signed OH&S documents and show the new employer that I know it all, just shut up when I am reaching for something high up standing on my chair with wheels!