We are not all in this together

Many Australians are facing potential unemployment, but the reality is some people, including older workers, are more likely to face discrimination and inequality in the workplace during COVID-19.

Not waving but drowning

Cruise ships have been a major source of infection for COVID-19 and have been shunned by the world’s ports. They have few friends in high places, given their failure to adhere to national tax or safety systems, and may struggle to regain public trust.

The end of the office?

The success of working from home could mark the end of the office as we know it, according to interior architect Iva Durakovic, who believes that remote working might become the new normal after the pandemic subsides.

Just in time runs out of time

Extra consumer demand has exposed the fragility of our supermarkets’ just-in-time ordering systems, but coronavirus is highlighting the modern world’s lack of resilience in many other ways.

Learning from Singapore about the future of work

Australia needs to improve its future of work policies and Singapore’s approach offers a useful starting point for policymakers in Canberra.

Women, age discrimination and work

Ageism and sexism are nothing new, but many countries are reporting an increase in age bias, particularly against women. So why are women less likely to make an age discrimination claim?

The rise of gay marketing

The LGBTIQ+ community has emerged as a major market, driving sales and revenue, and brands are coming out in droves to support the LGBTIQ+ community in turn.

Job insecurity wears heavy on people’s lives

New research shows employees exposed to job insecurity over more than four years became less emotionally stable, less agreeable, and less conscientious.

The collapse of Australian retail

Retailers need to focus on the core offering of their products rather than peripherals, and adapt their business models to increasingly fickle and tech-savvy consumers.

Let’s not go there

General Motor’s announcement that the Holden car brand will be “retired” and that local design and engineering will cease marks the end of the road for an Australian icon.

Employer training is the key to competitiveness

Employers are realising that upskilling their existing employees is a better bet for long term survival in fast-changing markets than relying on the government or hoping the market will magically produce suitably trained personnel.

Does flexible working work for Aussie parents?

A La Trobe University survey of more than 4,000 parents from different occupations has found that almost nine in ten relied on additional informal ‘catch-up’ strategies to manage work-family responsibilities on a daily-to-weekly basis.