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News Roundup
Arecent collaboration between government agencies and private services provides vital support to whanau, families and parents of children who die at, around or after birth. In December 2018 informal conversation over coffee led to a bringing together of government agencies, non-governmental organisations and private enterprises to explore ways and means of offering help to those affected by children who die at, around or after birth. The group worked together on Manilla, Chief Investment Officer at Kresge Foundation, a US socially minded grant foundation, state that 98 per cent of the financial services industry is still run by white men. Writing in the Financial Times and reported in HRGrapevine, Rob explains that, despite the best attempts of the GBP 54 trillion sector to position itself as a diverse industry, the statistics show a different story.
UK research found that nearly six in ten boardrooms don’t have an ethnic minority presence. Only one in eight hedge funds is led by a woman or person of colour, and those funds only control 5 per cent of the wealth in that space. Research from Barclays and the Knight Foundation shows that hedge funds with diverse ownership perform just a small concept that could make a big difference. This small concept is a website designed to support people in their grief and provide up-to-date and truthful information. In traditional whaikorero (oratory speeches) Maori refer to the passing of a person as a ‘star’ that returns to the sky to join the multitude of ancestors. Wheturangitia means “stars that adorn the sky” and so, in this context, “return, take your place amongst the stars along with your ancestors that adorn the sky”. as well or better than other nondiverse financial vehicles. Leadership diversity is still a pressing issue. While many firms are doing much better at diverse entry-level recruitment, it still appears that white males are ending up in the top jobs. Only 40 per cent of firms disclose the ethnicity of their directors. Yet, according to the study, about 60 per cent of firms say that they consider gender and ethnicity when assessing director candidates. UK research, conducted by executive search and interim management provider, Green Park, found that nearly six in ten boardrooms don’t have an ethnic minority presence. Amber Rudd, UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, delivered a speech at the start of 2019 explaining that despite women making up over half of university students and almost half of the working population, they are still under-represented at board level. The website is designed to support people in their grief and provide up-to-date and truthful information.
This service will also prove a useful resource for employers navigating this difficult time with employees.
Financial services still 98 per cent
New figures, shared by Rob
wheturangitia.services.govt.nz
“Having fewer women than men in leadership positions makes no sense. We know for instance that organisations with the highest levels of gender diversity in their leadership teams are 15 per cent more likely to outperform their industry rivals,” she told senior female City execs in January 2019.
Concerning results from workplace culture survey
Anew survey by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) reveals that less than a quarter of people rate their management as better than average. Richard Wagstaff, CTU President, said the results of the Together 2020 work survey are concerning. The survey focused on workplace culture, with questions about bullying, management effectiveness and people’s comfort in raising health and safety issues. “We’re concerned about the number of people who don’t feel able to report health and safety issues to their managers,” said Wagstaff. “We’ve had one in five people report that they don’t feel able to raise this issue. Safety at work is such a fundamental right that figure should be zero.”
“Additionally, having 40 per cent of the workforce concerned about their jobs being threatened by technology shows there is an urgent need to address the rapid changes happening to work and find ways to make sure people aren’t left behind.” The report also shows high levels of workplace bullying, with 46 per cent stating bullying was an issue in the workplace. The survey was completed by nearly 900 union and non-union working people and was conducted between 2–5 January this year. Wagstaff added that the results reflect the changes in policy and economic settings. “The more positive income and employment statistics of 2019 are translating into people feeling better off than they did a year ago, but right now it seems too many working people are still doing it tough, struggling to make ends meet and feeling undervalued at work,” said Wagstaff. “The Government’s reinstatement of work rights that had been eroded by their predecessors has certainly contributed to giving people the ability to get a better deal at work. However, this is a fragile gain that needs to be locked in and strengthened through the introduction of Fair Pay Agreements.”
