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Have you ever wanted to volunteer? How about now? Optimal Recruitment has partnered with Manly-based charity Royal Far West to bring you some fantastic volunteering opportunities.
Founded in 1924, Royal Far West (RFW) connects children in remote and rural areas of Australia to the developmental and mental health and healthcare services they need. Today, RFW is reaching out for help from volunteers with expertise in a number of sectors.
If you have some time available, please read on. This is a great chance to give back to the community and make a difference to the lives of others. It’s also a chance for you to gain new skills and experience, expand your network and enhance your resume.
Marketing/ PR / Media / Fundraising and Events
- Media and PR Strategy: developing a grassroots community fundraising execution plan
- Video Content Creation: showcasing and promoting RFW fundraising initiatives
- Copywriting: website and community newsletters
- Fundraising Engagement Strategy: engaging local business
- Event Sponsorship / Partnership Strategy: enabling mutually beneficial partnerships
Tech / Finance
- Technology Maintenance, Processes and End-of-Life-Planning (CISCO)
- Corporate Governance: systems analysis and creation and implementation of corporate governance structures
Health Business Support
- Change Management and Communication: creation of a model for introducing change within the organisation
- Work From Home Model: design and implementation of a more effective framework
- Stepped Care: analysis of current position; improvements to service delivery
- Customer Journey and Internal Process Mapping: streamlining processes to ensure effective delivery
- Professional Online Training: design and implementation of clinical resources for teachers, parents and carers
To find out more about these opportunities, please send us an email or give us a call on 02 8416 4181. We would be happy to put you in touch with our contact at Royal Far West.
#we are all in this together
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS
What is the coronavirus (COVID-19)?
The coronavirus is a virus that can pass from one person to another. It causes a respiratory illness called COVID-19. The first cases were reported in December 2019 in China, but people in many countries around the world are now affected.
What are the symptoms?
These include fever, coughing, sore throat, tiredness and shortness of breath. Symptoms can be very mild, but they can get worse and lead to serious breathing difficulties, pneumonia and death.
Who is at risk?
Anyone can get the coronavirus, but those most at risk include the following:
- The elderly
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples
- People with chronic medical conditions, e.g. heart disease, diabetes, lung disease
- People with compromised immune systems, e.g. people going through cancer treatment
Also, people are more at risk if:
- They have recently travelled back from a high-risk country, such as China, Korea, Italy or Iran
- They have been in close contact with someone who has the coronavirus
How does the virus spread?
The coronavirus spreads from one person to another. You can get the virus when:
- You have been in close contact with a person who has the virus, even in the 24 hours before they start showing symptoms
- When a person with the coronavirus coughs or sneezes and you come into contact with the droplets
When a person with the coronavirus sneezes or coughs, some droplets might land on a surface or object like a table or doorknob. You can get the virus by touching these surfaces or objects and then touching your face.
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal about the #ChangingWorkplace provoked a flurry of posts and comments on LinkedIn. The upshot of the article was that, today, workers in the US are working more for less. In 2016, 26% of Americans reported that they worked in excess of 48 hours per week, but, increasingly, workers are missing out on company-funded benefits such as pensions and insurance. The article also highlighted the rising number of temporary and contract roles.
In Australia, a similar pattern is emerging. A special report in The Australian estimated that around 700,000 Australians are now engaged in the ‘gig’ economy – that’s around 5% of the workforce. And these numbers are set to grow as companies such as Uber, Deliveroo and Airtasker make their mark, and access to technology broadens.
But what are the advantages and disadvantages of working in the gig economy? And who is the real winner?
For workers, flexibility is the big selling point of working on a pay-per-task basis. They may be able to work from home, or balance gig work with another job, study or childcare responsibilities. Rather than be restricted by set hours, they can choose the time windows that suit them best. And, contrary to popular belief, working gigs can be a good money earner, especially for highly skilled workers, such as lawyers, web designers and business consultants.
But, all too often, jobs in the gig economy are unregulated and low paid (far below the standard minimum wage). Additionally, as an independent contractor, a worker has no annual or sick leave, no insurance cover, and often no superannuation either. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia found that ¼ of self-employed workers had no super; those in low-paid, unskilled jobs are particularly affected. Alarmingly, the move towards flexible working patterns also has potentially far-reaching consequences for the welfare system. In October, the IMF warned of challenges to the structure of the social insurance system due to the increase in less stable, freelance work.
The real winners, it seems, are employers and shareholders. Today, employers have no need to hire employees to complete specific tasks when they can easily source gig workers online with the desired skill-set. It’s a huge gain for businesses in terms of flexibility, agility and specialised skills. Plus, of course, it means that they can cut hefty personnel costs to a minimum, which leads to increased dividends to shareholders. But, there are downsides too. By awarding tasks to the lowest bidder, work quality may be compromised. Additionally, gig workers have no incentive to stay loyal to one specific business; they may not be available when their services are next required. And organisational knowledge, often seen as key to a business’s innovation strategy and growth, is diluted when long-term employees are not replaced. To remain competitive and relevant moving forward, businesses should think about ways of attracting and including gig workers in their organisations.
Have you ever worked a gig? What do you think about the growth of the gig economy?
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