This year, because of the COVID-19 restrictions, Australians are being asked to commemorate Anzac Day differently. The ABC will broadcast the dawn service from the Australian War Memorial, and people are encouraged by the RSL to ‘Light up the Dawn’ at 6am by standing at the end of their driveways, in their living room or balconies and follow along with a digital recording of the Dawn Service. You can even download an app with an eternal flame and a synchronised playing of the Last Post. Research consistently shows that Anzac Day is the preeminent day in the national psyche, reinforcing ideas about what it means to be Australian.[i] This is despite the fact that while continuing to honour Ser
Workplace communication in times of uncertainty - lessons learnt from the ‘mad cow disease’ public h
The lessons learnt from the 1990’s bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic highlight that for any established systems/structures/organisations to thrive (or survive) during these uncertain times, they need to maintain a genuine connection and engender a culture of trust within their community – and that effective and appropriate communication is key to enabling this. We have begun the year faced with uncertainty, and the only thing that is becoming more certain is that there will be more uncertainty. The 1990’s BSE epidemic was a time of great uncertainty in the UK, threatening public health, food safety and supply, and the livestock industry. What was left after the threat had passe
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces are having to adjust and adapt to new ways of working and a vastly different operational context. Many traditional workplaces have been required to suddenly shift to remote work, with many employees working from home for the first time. Isolated workers are being required to quickly adapt to technology they haven’t used before, many with children home from school. Furthermore, there is heightened anxiety about the uncertain state of the world and repercussions of the pandemic response. Responsible and ethical workplaces will be prioritising employee wellbeing like never before, given the significantly elevated risks to employee men
