Knismeisis – light, feather-like tickling.
Applications wanted for rural leaders
06/10/2010Applications for next year’s Kellogg Rural Leaders’ Promgramme have opened.
Through residential workshops, seminars and individuals study over 11 months it develops emerging agribusiness leaders to help shape the future of New Zealand agribusiness and rural affairs.
Phase 1 takes place at Lincoln University from January 19 -29. Phase 2 from February to October requires particiapnts to complete their individual projects at home. Phase 3 from November 13 to 18 is held at Lincoln and Wellington.
The programme caters for up to 24 people who live and work in rural New Zealand in each intake. Applications close on October 18.
I did the programme in 1994 and while the formal sessions are very helpful, at least as much benefit comes from the friendships which develop and contacts made.
9/10
06/10/20109/10 in this week’s Dominion Post political trivia quiz.
Undone by the dollars being spent on the military.
Milk price down 1.3%
06/10/2010The trade weighted price for all milk dropped 1.3% in Fonterra’s globalDairy Trade auction this morning.
Given that production is increasing in the USA, Euorpe and Australia that’s not surprsiing.
Anhydours Milk Fat went up 1.4%; Butter Milk Powder was up 2.8%; Skim Milk Powder dropped .9%; and Whole Milk Powder was down 2.1%.
Are you working while you sleep?
06/10/2010A court case last year ruled that IHC had to pay staff when they were on night shift.
That faced the charity with a $176m liability for wages as a result of which two of its subsidiaries – Idea Services and Timata Hou – have been put into statutory management pending an appeal.
If the staff were on awake and on active duty, of course they should be paid. If they are woken and have to help any of the residents they are paid for a minimum of two hours.
But if the residents require no assistance and the staff sleep all night, are they really earning normal hourly rates of pay?
I don’t think so. In most of the houses they are there in case of accident, illness,other emergency or to assist residents when required and most aren’t required to do anything most nights.
It’s fair that they are paid to be there but not the same amount they’d earn if they were working all night unless they are not just on call but on duty..
This case has implications beyond IHC and other providers of residential care for intellectually disabled people. Rest homes, boarding schools, hospitals and any other workplaces where people are on call but not actually working could find they too are liable to pay night staff when they’re asleep.