Most common amongst these devastating facts is the crime of enslaving people against their will. It is present all over the globe in magnitudes that we hardly want to believe.
If you are a business owner in Australia, you might want to ensure none of your employees or people in your supply chain are being mistreated or enslaved. Doing so is not easy and requires better awareness and the right tools. This article will explain what modern slavery is and how you can ensure it is not present around you.
What Is Modern Slavery?
Modern slavery is the term used to explain the situations of serious exploitation where offenders undermine the freedom of victims using threats or deception. Such practices are often present directly or indirectly in businesses of any type and size and belonging to any industry.
Laws across the world require organisations to report and safeguard themselves against such incidents that endanger the fundamental human rights of any person.
Who Is at Risk?
Offenders of modern slavery often seem to overpower the victims, they belong to the powerful and influential part of society. Whereas the victims can come from lower-income groups or people who are inefficient at protecting themselves from their oppressors. Some of the people who are at a greater risk than others include:
- Children
- Women
- Refugees and people seeking asylum
- Migrants
- Occupations with lower legal protection
Some Quick Facts
According to Anti-Slavery Australia,
- Around 40.3 million people are entangled in modern slavery globally
- 71% are female (women and children)
- Over 1900 people living in Australia are victims of modern slavery
- Only 1 in 5 victims are detected in Australia
In July, fashion retailer Boohoo became the latest company embroiled in an ethics scandal, accused of modern slavery.
A Sunday Times UK investigation found that Boohoo was selling clothes made in a Leicester factory who were reportedly paying garment workers as little as £3.50 an hour (the minimum wage is £8.50) and failing to protect workers against Covid-19.
In response, the company, which has said it takes a “zero-tolerance” approach to malpractice, terminated contracts with one supplier and one subcontractor and launched an independent review into its supply chain.
Then just a few days ago, The Guardian UK exclusively reported that at least 18 other factories where Boohoo made clothing in Leicester had failed to prove they pay the minimum wage to workers in audits as recent as a few weeks ago and dating back 4 years, leading to Boohoo suspending orders at a number of factories.Continue reading...
‘Old is gold’ or ‘New is always better’?
Let’s go ahead and debunk 6 such myths.6 Common Myths about Blended LearningILT + eLearning = blended learningIt costs more than classroom trainingIt’s just a steppingstone from ILT to eLearningRole of instructors and facilitators becomes superfluousILT is the only facet of offline learningYour employees need to be tech savvy for blended learning to workDebunking 6 Common Myths around Blended LearningMyth #1: ILT + eLearning = Blended LearningBlending learning doesn’t mean having a few classroom sessions followed by a few eLearning courses or vice-versa.
There are many ways of delivering both online and offline training, depending on the learning requirement.You can start with introductory ILT sessions and follow them with eLearning modules to provide in- depth information.You can start with an eLearning pre-assessment and continue with classroom sessions.You can include job shadowing, mentoring, peer coaching, as well as workshops, seminars, and webinars in your blended training programs.You can deliver the entire training in the classroom and provide job-aids through mobile apps for performance support.You can mix and match any format of online and offline learning and come up with a new cocktail of blended learning.
But if you factor in the cost of the venue, traveling and lodging, food, and loss of production time when employees are in training, and the necessity of doing this over and over again every few months, you might want to reconsider your options.
The best thing about blended learning is that it’s an inexpensive way of training your global workforce who can all access the same training from wherever they are, whenever they need.Myth #3: It’s Just a Steppingstone from ILT to eLearningTransitioning your entire training program from ILT to eLearning can be a challenge, and blended learning can help make the process easier as employees can get acclimatized to online training.
But if you include a classroom role-playing session where learners collaborate and learn the art of selling, the training will effectively address both requirements.The fundamental principle behind a blended learning solution is to recognize the best learning format that will provide complete and effective training.Myth #4: There is NO Role for Instructors and Facilitators in Blended LearningNothing can be farther from the truth than the assumption that instructors are not important in a blended learning program.
