TALKING about mental and emotional well-being can be confronting. These conversations are often avoided in the workplace, especially in the blue-collar industry. Tradies Ed Ross and Dan Allen are turning this invisible and debilitating issue into a topic that’s impossible to ignore.…
The global cosmetics industry produces around 120 billion units of packaging every year. The complexity of mixed materials used in beauty product packaging makes it difficult to separate for recycling, and ends up in landfill. A change in waste standards by China, has forced Australia to look at its recycling system, and pushed for a more circular economy when it comes to waste. One reason China introduced the ban is to manage products and waste they manufacture, from the start to their end of life. Flora & Fauna, a certified B corporation that sells eco and environmentally friendly products, aims…
TALKING about mental and emotional well-being can be confronting. These conversations are often avoided in the workplace, especially in the blue-collar industry. Tradies Ed Ross and Dan Allen are turning this invisible and debilitating issue into a topic that’s impossible to ignore. As co-founders, they came up with the concept of TradeMutt in 2016 after losing a mate to suicide the same year. TradeMutt sells a range of bright, eye-catching workwear that is specifically designed to spark conversation about mental health. Their powerful slogan, ‘This Is A Conversation Starter’ is imprinted on the back of all of their workwear and…
AUSTRALIA could soon become a world leader in calculating social value with the publication of a new guidefor Standards Australia, the nation’s peak non-government, not-for-profit standards organisation. Huber Social CEO Georgina Camp, head of the committee writing the new guide, said the other standards that exist at a global level focus on regulating the managing and reporting of social value. In contrast, this model is about collecting the data that goes into the reporting and management decisions. “We go to the next level down; you can standardise reporting and managing all you want, but if you haven’t standardised how the…
IF more of the world’s wealthiest people thought like Australian tech icon Melanie Perkins, we could very well live in a more equitable and just society. Ms Perkins is the CEO of Canva, the global graphic design platform she co-founded with her now husband, Cliff Obrecht. Canva has recently been valued at US$40 billion, becoming one of the world’s most valuable private software companies, a massive achievement since their humble beginnings as a Sydney-based start-up. However, what the founders intend to do with their billions of dollars truly speaks to their character. Of their 36 per cent equity in Canva,…
VERY few people write letters or notes anymore, so it is a welcome surprise when one arrives in the mail. There is an instant sense of belonging because someone took the time to sit down and put pen to paper. Australia Post is helping Australians stay connected by delivering more than four million specifically designed prepaid postcards to rural and remote households as part of its continued focus on mental health. Head of community at Australia Post, Nicky Tracey, said the simple idea would positively impact people’s mental health, particularly those who are currently unable to visit friends and family.…
A recent nationwide survey of more than 500 women of colour in Australia found that 60 per cent have experienced discrimination in the workplace related to their identity as a woman of colour, despite almost the same number (59 per cent) of respondents saying their workplace has a Diversity & Inclusion policy in place. Conducted by Women of Colour Australia (WoCA) in partnership with Murdoch University, the inaugural Women of Colour in the Australian Workforce survey was unveiled over the weekend, at the official virtual launch event. WoCA is Australia’s first not-for-profit organisation of its kind championing Australia’s women of…
LOVELUVO, a social enterprise retailer stocking eco-friendly, locally sourced, and fair-trade home and body products, is located in Seddon Village just across the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne’s west. Jessica Sims, the store’s manager, describes Seddon as just like a small country town. “It is so community centred, and the locals support all the businesses here,” Jessica said. “LoveLuvo has been open for ten years, and a lot of our customers say they love the smell of the store and can’t resist the scent, so they have to drop in.” Westgate Community Initiatives Group Ltd, a not-for-profit employment services provider,…
Following a number of teasers and snippets into the different areas the Morrison government is prioritising, the Federal Budget reveal has been revealed. And reactions across different sectors and groups are varied. As the country rebounds from the pandemic, this budget marked big spendings by the government to get the economy back on track. But are the measures enough to adequately address the needs of all Australians? Here’s what advocacy groups and purpose-driven leaders have to say. Short sightedness leaves women vulnerable Amy Nguyen, Co-Founder at Zen Tea Lounge Foundation, a not-for-profit working to eliminate domestic violence in Australia, says…
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Land Rover has premiered the first of a series of short films showing how local teams are the future of emergency response efforts. The first-of-its-kind four-part series, On the ground: Humanitarians in Action, uses GoPro cameras to capture Red Cross volunteers and local teams helping vulnerable communities around the world in a year of huge challenges. IFRC staff and volunteers used Land Rover vehicles to reach people on three continents – the latest example of a long-running humanitarian partnership. Each film captures life-changing moments of humanity and crisis, from…
The Union for higher education staff spoke out yesterday at the Senate Inquiry into insecure work, saying that while exploitative and insecure employment models are spreading through the rest of the economy, higher education has been the stronghold of precarious employment for some time – but it’s now the main form of employment for teaching and research. “It’s not just people delivering Big Macs on push bikes working without a safety net or a minimum wage – the Uber-isation of higher education has been growing for years, and it’s creating a dangerous race to the bottom,” National President of the…
