Business

Four-day work week trial delivers sick leave surprise

15 February

A four-day working week trial at Australia’s largest private health provider has delivered a marked drop in sick and carer’s leave among frontline workers. Stress levels have also reduced across all 250 workers in the first 10 weeks of...[Read More]

Urgent changes needed to support women in STEM jobs

14 February

Urgent, industry-wide changes are needed to help more women, Indigenous Australians and migrants thrive in science, engineering and technology jobs, and to help Australia take advantage of emerging markets such as renewable energy, according to a...[Read More]

How asking a recruit’s past salary entrenches pay gap

14 February

Further entrenching the gender pay gap can be as simple as routinely asking job applicants what they earn at their current job, business leaders have been told. Winning support from the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, construction firm Lendlease no...[Read More]

Australia will issue rules for ‘risky’ solar inverters

14 February

Cybersecurity standards for solar inverters, batteries and electric vehicle chargers are being developed by the Australian government amid concerns some equipment could leave the nation exposed to foreign interference. The issue emerged in two...[Read More]

Schools to trial AI alternative after ChatGPT ban

8 February

Children in more than a dozen NSW schools will help test an in-house artificial intelligence app after the state banned the popular ChatGPT over cheating concerns. The trial AI app, called NSWEduChat, was an important first step for the rollout of...[Read More]

Workers closer to getting a ‘right to disconnect’

8 February

Workers who are not paid to monitor their phones and emails 24/7 should not be penalised if they choose to disconnect, the prime minister says. A range of workplace changes are before parliament, designed to improve pay and conditions and stamp out...[Read More]

Aussie firms urged to deploy AI to save productivity

8 February

Australian businesses should deploy artificial technology across more parts of their operations or the nation risked falling behind the rest of the world in productivity, a major technology conference has heard. But Microsoft’s AI Tour event in...[Read More]

Calls for fee-free uni for disadvantaged students

1 February

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds should be eligible for fee-free university places in industries facing chronic shortages, the sector’s peak body has urged. In a pre-budget submission to the federal government, Universities Australia has...[Read More]

Five leadership skills that make a great leader

1 February

Being viewed or referred to as a ‘leader’ or ‘future leader’ in any establishment is a major sign of how well-regarded you are as an employee. However, while a leader may or may not be a manager, being a manager doesn’t instantly make...[Read More]

Purpose of govt must evolve as voters seek ‘wellbeing’

31 January

Politicians are on notice that the old “jobs and growth” catchcry won’t be enough to attract voters, especially younger ones, in Australia’s evolving democracy. Federal politicians are particularly on the nose, with less than one in five...[Read More]

Gender pay gap wider for managers than other job types

25 January

The hourly gender pay gap is wider for Australian managers than for professionals, labourers and other classes of workers. Men in management roles were earning almost 20 per cent more than their female counterparts based on average earnings each...[Read More]

Business ticks off expanded paid parental leave scheme

25 January

Business groups have backed a proposal to increase the number of weeks offered under the paid parental leave scheme. The federal government introduced legislation last year which would extend the scheme by two weeks each year from July 1, to...[Read More]

Full steam ahead as government secures gas deal

24 January

Gas-fired stations could have enough fuel to power the east coast for two and a half years, after the government secured a commitment as the nation moves away from coal. Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Resources Minister Madeleine King on Monday...[Read More]

Corporate Australia winning at climate ‘double-speak’

18 January

Leading Australian companies are “talking the talk” on climate but failing to follow through on green commitments, posing a threat to national climate targets, researchers say. Data on corporate and peak body lobbying on climate policy found...[Read More]

Supermarket ‘big duopoly’ to go under microscope

18 January

The country’s grocery giants could be forced to comply with a mandatory code of conduct amid surging shelf prices and skyrocketing supermarket profits. The government announced on Wednesday that former Labor minister Craig Emerson would head its...[Read More]