Putting an end to slavery means understanding the supply chain
Slavery still exists around the world today Unfortunately, slavery is not just a historical blight that modern-day ethics and awareness put an end to. Slavery, in the form of, among other things, human trafficking, servitude, forced labour, exploitation of workers, deceptive recruiting for labour and services, debt bondage and forced marriage exists in Australia and […]
Read MoreSmall businesses to be protected from unfair terms in contracts
The Competition and Consumer Act and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission Act have been amended to extend the protections that consumers had against unfair contracts to small businesses. What contracts do these amendments apply to? They apply to most standard form contracts for the supply of goods or services or the grant of an […]
Read MoreWhy worry about the timber in my products?
I recently worked with a couple of national retailers that sell products made from, or containing, wood or paper. Both companies had determined that the risks to their businesses if they sold timber/paper products sourced from sensitive forests were unacceptable. Why should we care about forests? Forests are important to us locally and globally for […]
Read MoreWe have a Policy: translating a Policy into Practice
I was very privileged to participate last week in The National Defence, Police & Emergency Services Women’s Leadership Summit and hear some very successful women talk about their experiences and share their leadership insights. One of the issues that each of their organisations face, whether it be the Army, Navy Air Force, State or Federal […]
Read MoreDodging the Regulator’s bullet
3 unwanted letters I recently wrote about 3 unwanted types of letter a business could receive. To recap, these are letters from: -a Regulator, for example the ACCC, a State Fair Trading Office, the TGA or Workcover alleging that you or your company has broken the law that the relevant regulator enforces; – the lawyer acting […]
Read MoreWhat do you do when you get “The Letter”?
Four types of letters There are 3 important letters that your business cannot ignore if it receives one. Each one is serious and has enormous consequences for the business. Each one is avoidable and only one is welcome. There is a fourth letter that you won’t receive, but also has huge consequences. The 3 letters […]
Read MoreWhistleblowers: don’t shoot the messenger
I recently wrote about the value to a business of customer feedback- in particular how complaints should be giving the business a heads up of potentially serious issues the business could be facing. Employees identifying risks in the organisation But what about internal feedback? Internal feedback, particularly “whistleblowing” where an employee reports corruption, fraud, unsafe […]
Read MoreTurning complaints into assets
What would you do if a client publishes a bad review or lodges a complaint about your business? The Broadway Hotel in Blackpool, England is making news for all the reasons it was trying to avoid. It has been reported in the world news that the Broadway Hotel has (or had) a term in its terms […]
Read MoreWhat can companies learn from GM’s recall debacle?
15 senior GM employees lost their jobs over delaying the recall of faulty cars Failing to act urgently to recall faulty products last week led to General Motors sacking 15 employees, mostly in senior and executive legal and engineering roles and disciplining 5 others. They failed to act an ongoing problem with the ignition switches in a number […]
Read MoreAddressing Risks and Opportunities in Packaging Design
Packaging of consumer products is, in many cases, a necessity. Although probably rarely given much consideration by manufacturers and suppliers, packaging can bring opportunities to businesses as well as risks. Life Threatening Packaging Waste It’s not news that our rubbish is killing our marine and bird life. A recently published article about a 13.5 m […]
Read More12 sustainability goals successful companies know
Sustainability plays a significant role in many companies today. They are seeing benefits from operational efficiencies, goodwill and compliance as well as the greater advantages that come from managing their impact on the environment and communities. Nestlé, for example, has promised to achieve zero energy waste in all of its 150 European factories by 2020. […]
Read MoreAre you sick of seeing waste packaging littering the streets?
I am! Not only because I am tired of having to drag Lulu past Mc Donald’s packages, ice cream wrappers, milk cartons, chip bags etc every time I take her for a walk! If you own a scavenger, you become very aware of rubbish!! Another (less selfish) reason is the energy and resources that go […]
Read MoreHope is not a Plan
I was privileged to attend a very inspirational talk from Pater Baines yesterday. He talked about leadership, an area he is well qualified to speak about. The first point he made was that “Hope isn’t a Plan”. This applies if you find yourself in the middle of managing an emergency, or just in the everyday […]
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