Maternity Leave Proposal Family Friendly

Recommendations by the Productivity Commission for the Federal Government of Australia to provide 18 weeks maternity leave for working mothers, and all fathers a fortnight of leave, seems a great initiative and assists in getting the importance of supporting families back on the agenda.

This next step is to make it easy for businesses to manage so that this important initiative isn't hijacked by the need for organisations to be responsible for it's implementation.

Surely all paperwork should be between the Government and recipients, and not the responsibility of business to handle the tax implications etc. The less paperwork employers need to do, the easier it will be to sell this important package to them.

Is this 'Heelarious' or sexually damaging to our tots?

Personally, I think these 'high-heeled' shoes designed specifically for babies are cute! In fact they made me smile. Particulary as they are designed for baby girls aged up to six months. (They even have a heel that are soft and collapse when the toddler stands).

But apparently they have caused quite a stir. I was surprised to read an article in the courier mail by Dr Karen Brooks, an associate professor of media studies at Southern Cross University, who seemed to be taking the line that these "Sex and the City meets Imelda Marcos as she struts down Sesame Street" shoes are along the same lines as products which are part of the whole process of Kids Growing Older Younger.

P-L-E-A-S-E! Can't we just dress up for fun anymore?

Yes, they are out of America (naturally) but I fail to see how it is different to dressing your baby in other cute outfits such as denim jeans and jacket, or weeboks.

Anyway, judging by the fantastic amount of publicity the product has received I think the women who came up with the idea are strutting all the way to the bank!

What do you think? Heelarious or hellish?

A Fun Way To Stand Out!

I'm always looking for fun ways stand out - so my new marketing campaign is sure to be a hit!


Click here and see if you agree

Quote of the Month

"Communication is the 

universal solvent."

- L. Ron Hubbard

Author & Spiritual leader

(1911-1986)

If you are going to promote "ain't it awful", at least get your facts straight!

I was at a two day "Women in Leadership" conference recently and I must confess got very tired with the consistent message that women aren't progressing in business.

Dr Anne Summers, a well-regarded journalist and feminist, enraged the group with the news that "even Gail Kelly who was recently appointed as CEO of Westpac Australia was earning much less than her predecessor, David Morgan". Summers stated that Morgan earnt $8.5m last year while Kelly's starting salary was only $2.5m p.a..

The group talked about little else over lunch!

It took me 10 minutes to check the facts on the Net that night. Dr Summers' was completely wrong. According to Westpac's 2007 Annual Report David Morgan earned $10.5m not $8.5m that financial year!

But even more startling was how easy it was to find the facts. -The highlights of Gail Kelly's contract were also on the Westpac website. Yes, her starting salary was $2.5m p.a. (more than Morgan's base salary) plus the potential of $8.5m if she meet performance standards, as Morgan so successfully achieved.

But keep reading ... on day one Gail Kelly also got $7m in Westpac shares !!

Another fact is that Morgan delivered a $3.5 billion profit for Westpac in 2007 - a 12% increase on the previous year.

Gail Kelly is a star and knows her worth. She was recently named "one of the world's most influential women" by respected US Publication Forbes - ranking 11 in the top 12 nominated.

So ... can we please stop focusing on "ain't it awful" and celebrate the achievements of our leading women, and men.