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Otago Daily Times
06-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Return-to-office policies under the spotlight again
There are many differing opinions about the benefits and drawbacks of flexible working. It is now common for businesses to operate hybrid and work-from-home models. But perhaps the tide is turning. Employers are beginning to retreat from their post-Covid flexible working policies and many, including the whole public sector, are considering reimplementing in-office mandates. Putting to one side the arguments about productivity, wellbeing and the like, a recent case is a reminder employers and employees will not always see eye to eye about where work should be performed. In Petrie v Alphero Ltd the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) considered a claim involving a dispute about remote working arrangements. Whether Alphero Ltd (the employer) had agreed to certain flexible working arrangements was the key issue, as Mr Petrie (the employee) argued he was unjustifiably (constructively) dismissed when he resigned. He said that was because Alphero breached a prior remote-working agreement. Mr Petrie had recently moved to Whanganui, whereas Alphero's office was in Wellington. The ERA ultimately held Mr Petrie was not unjustifiably disadvantaged, constructively dismissed or subjected to a breach of good faith when Alphero altered an arrangement of four days at home and one in the office to three days a week in the office and two at home. Mr Petrie started working for Alphero in December 2021. He initially worked fully from the office but not long after starting, began to work one day per week from home. Covid-19 concerns in late January 2022 meant all Alphero staff were permitted to work from home for a period. Seemingly, Alphero had agreed remote and hybrid working arrangements with many of its staff. Some of these were formally agreed, some were project-specific and some were informal policy decisions at Alphero's discretion. In the second half of 2022 Alphero updated its flexible working policy. The policy confirmed existing work-from-home agreements did not need to be renegotiated. Mr Petrie was working on a project for Alphero's client TVNZ. The unique characteristics of that project, and TVNZ being a remote client, meant there was project-specific flexibility where staff were permitted to work four days remotely and one day in the office (described as being a "4:1" basis). But the project-specific flexibility was exactly that limited to that project. Alphero's communications about it were consistent, being that employees working on the TVNZ project were able to work from home for longer "but not forever". The employer's communications also appear to have reserved its right to require employees to work from the office more regularly. In late 2023 Mr Petrie's new manager resolved to have one-on-one discussions with staff reporting to him, including about flexible working arrangements. Around this time Mr Petrie had bought a home in Whanganui. He had not told Alphero about his plan to move to Whanganui. Mr Petrie then requested a fully remote working arrangement. Shortly prior to Christmas 2023, Mr Petrie's manager reiterated Alphero could not support fully remote working arrangements on a permanent basis. Alphero agreed to provide a temporary flexible-working arrangement until March 2024. It seems Alphero anticipated Mr Petrie was looking for alternative (remote) work and that he would likely resign from his role. That is understandable, given Mr Petrie was now living in Whanganui and appeared reluctant to travel to Wellington for work. Some confusion arose, and Mr Petrie clarified he was not intending to resign. In turn, Alphero sought to clarify that it was not agreeing to a permanent flexible working arrangement, and that it required Mr Petrie from the beginning of April to start working three days a week from the Wellington office. Mr Petrie resigned about a month later. He then raised a personal grievance, alleging he had been unjustifiably (constructively) dismissed and had been unjustifiably disadvantaged by the employer requiring him to work from the Wellington office. The ERA found the "4:1" arrangement was only a temporary arrangement, contingent on the employee being engaged on the specific TVNZ project and the employer's needs. The employer retained the discretion to rescind the temporary arrangements and to direct employees to work from the office in accordance with its own policies. Alphero had been open and transparent in the way it communicated about flexible working arrangements, and it had not arbitrarily removed the flexible working arrangements solely in response to Mr Petrie buying a house in a different city. Given those findings, Mr Petrie had not been unjustifiably disadvantaged and it followed his constructive dismissal argument must also fail as it was predicated on the employer having breached a prior arrangement about flexible working. The key lesson for employees and employers is to get on the same page about what is agreed and what is not. If both parties are happy with informal flexibility then that is fine, but an employee who decides to move cities assuming they will be able to work remotely certainly takes a risk their employer will not agree. Formal arrangements should be documented. Parties to an employment relationship should approach discussions in good faith, openly and transparently. Part 6AA of the Employment Relations Act 2000 includes a statutory right to make a flexible working request, which employers must consider and decide whether to approve or refuse. There are good reasons for flexibility, but there are also good reasons for requiring staff to work from the office. Proponents of in-office work say many types of work are less effectively done remotely. Benefits of in-office work include collaboration, connectivity, innovation, mentorship and skill development. But employers should also recognise that one size will not fit all, and policies should include the flexibility to respond to individual circumstances. The worst outcomes and the highest likelihood of grievances and disputes will be from employers communicating poorly or failing to explain why they made the decision they did. • The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not purport to be specific legal or professional advice. James Cowan is a senior associate with Anderson Lloyd, specialising in Employment Law.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
World's oldest dress discovered in Egypt after 5,000 years reveals ancient craftsmanship
Source: UCL News The rare and remarkable relic of ancient fashion history discovered in Egypt's Tarkhan Cemetery, south of Cairo. The Tarkhan Dress dated between 3482 and 3102 BC being the oldest known complex tailored clothing is the woven linen which means the garment designed to be cut, shaped, and sewn rather than simply wrapped and draped. The Tarkhan garment, the oldest dress unearthed, underscores the sophistication of textile production dating back over 5000 years ago in addition to a direct linking to early Egyptian craftsmanship and social customs. This demonstrates that the clothing was more than functional even in the ancient world; expressive, culturally significant and made intricately. Tarkhan Dress: The oldest known dress found in an Egyptian Cemetery In 1913, the dress was first uncovered by the famed British archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie during the excavation of a mastaba tomb which is flat-roofed and rectangular in design at the extensive tarkhan necropolis. This burial ground features over 2000 tombs back to the critical transition from Egypt's Protodynastic to Early Dynastic periods, when the first pharaohs began to consolidate power. The remnants believed to have been brushed aside by the ancient tomb robbers was a 'pile of linen cloth' which the archaeologist Petrie brought back to the UK. The garment was recognised until 1977 for decades when textile conservators of the Victoria and Albert Museum identified the fragments as of nearly complete linen dress. Tarkhan Dress: Design and fabric used The oldest dress discovered was crafted from fine linen woven from flax (Linum usitatissimum), featuring a modest V-shaped neckline, with tight sleeves and a knife-pleated bodice indicating advanced textile skills. Though its lower section is missing, experts believe it could have functioned as a tunic, shirt, or full-length dress. The garment's size and style suggest it was made for a slim, young woman of elite status. As noted by the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at University College London (UCL) , where the dress is now housed, this type of tailored clothing was uncommon in the archaeological record due to the fragile nature of ancient textiles. Confirming the oldest dress age and cultural significance In 2016, a study led by UCL's Alice Stevenson and isotope chemist Michael Dee of the University of Groningen verified the dress's age through advanced radiocarbon dating. The garment was confirmed to have been created around the dawn of Egypt's First Dynasty, a period marking the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaohs. Interestingly, signs of wear on the dress suggest it was used during life before being interred, countering the idea that it was made exclusively for funerary use. This practical wear, combined with visual depictions of similar garments in contemporary tomb art, reinforces the theory that the Tarkhan Dress was fashionable at the time. Beyond its age, the Tarkhan Dress represents a major breakthrough in the understanding of early clothing construction. As Stevenson noted, the survival of such a perishable textile especially in a nearly complete, tailored form which is extraordinarily rare. Also Read | 'Doomsday fish' recently spotted four times in 20 days across countries including India; here's where and what happened next
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
What? The Great Pyramid doesn't just have four sides, there's more to it
The Great Pyramid of Giza has long been one of the most iconic symbols of ancient Egypt and human potential. It has stood the test of time by standing still on the Egyptian desert sand for the last 4500 years and has attracted generations of scholars, explorers, and tourists worldwide. The timeless grandeur and detailed geometric design of the marvel have made many researchers call it a masterpiece of symmetry and engineering. Traditionally, the pyramid has been understood to have four sides, and each a perfect triangle converging to a point at the summit, reflecting the architectural brilliance of ancient Egyptian builders. But what if that perception was incomplete? Recent discoveries have begun to change the basis of how we view the Great Pyramid, telling that it may hold secrets that went unnoticed for centuries. Far from being a simple four-sided structure, new evidence suggests the pyramid actually has a more complex design, one that subtly strays far from first impressions. This discovery doesn't just challenge how we see it. It also leaves some mind-boggling questions on the viewer about the level of scientific and architectural excellence achieved by the ancient Egyptians. The Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, is the only wonder that still stands today among the 'Seven Wonders of the Ancient World'. The Great Pyramid of Giza has eight sides! For centuries, scholars believed the Great Pyramid of Giza had four perfectly flat faces. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo This understanding held until 1940, when British Egyptologist Flinders Petrie made a surprising observation. Under specific lighting conditions, Petrie noticed a subtle indentation running vertically down the center of each face. These depressions, though nearly invisible from ground level, indicated that the faces were not flat, but slightly concave. This suggests that the pyramid doesn't have just four sides, but eight. Each face is divided into two shallow planes by these concave curves, which are only visible under particular light conditions or from above. The Great Pyramid is even more complex in design, which is not seen in other pyramids of its kind. What are these concave faces ? The idea of concave faces was explored further in 1975 by Egyptologist IES Edwards in his book The Pyramids of Egypt. He wrote that the blocks were set in such a way that they sloped inward, creating the impression of a central depression. These findings were reinforced by a 2023 study published in Archaeological Discovery. Researcher Akio Kato wrote, 'The Great Pyramid at Giza is known to have an amazing character of concavity that each of its four faces is slightly indented along its central line, from base to peak. ' Kato's analysis highlights how this feature, invisible from typical vantage points, was likely intentional, suggesting an advanced understanding of geometry, optics, and perhaps even symbolic design. The ancient Egyptians' ability to execute such precision reinforces their reputation as master builders and visionaries. The Great Pyramid, it turns out, is not just an ancient wonder, but a puzzle still revealing its secrets.
The Australian
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Australian
Peter Dutton's allies speak out on election loss and polling disaster
You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback. You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Peter Dutton's Liberal campaign was so shocked by its historic defeat that the party president demanded the federal director explain its fatally flawed polling in the middle of their own election party, while one of Mr Dutton's top allies kept thousands in the bank after the then-opposition leader told him his seat was safe. As Sussan Ley works over the weekend to patch up a splintered Coalition and find a strategy to deal with a Labor win so large it could guarantee Anthony Albanese two more terms in office, the Liberal Party has finally laid bare the mistakes that led Mr Dutton to lose his own seat and more than a dozen of his colleagues' on May 3. Defeated Liberal National Party opposition assistant minister Luke Howarth has revealed Mr Dutton reassured him his outer-Brisbane seat of Petrie was safe, before asking for part of his campaign war chest to be spent trying to win a Labor-held longshot seat and defend Coalition strongholds from the threat of Climate 200-backed Teal candidates. Mr Howarth has also conceded he regrets putting his longtime friend Mr Dutton's face on joint billboards and how-to-vote cards, after he underestimated the then leader's unpopularity in their adjoining electorates. Another senior Liberal source said the internal polling by Freshwater Strategy was 'way out' and had given Mr Dutton's team, strategists and MPs flawed information throughout the campaign. 'The polling was a huge problem … it was way out,' the senior Liberal told The Australian. 'If we'd have known (the truth) we would have changed course overnight.' The senior Liberal source also criticised the strength of negative ads produced by Coalition campaign headquarters and director Andrew Hirst, and suggested it was not official opposition policy when Senator Jane Hume announced Canberra-based public servants would be forced to work full-time from the office. Senator Hume's office rejected that claim and said her speech and the policy announcement had been put through the proper channels, including Mr Dutton's office. Peter Dutton, centre, Angus Taylor, left, and Jane Hume at Parliament House before the election. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire But the senior Liberal source said rather than kill Senator Hume's announcement straight away and stoke talk there was a policy split, it was decided it was a 'benign' issue. According to sources who saw the final Freshwater tracking poll conducted on the Wednesday night before the election, the research showed a swing to the Liberals in some NSW and Victorian marginal seats of about 5 per cent. Emboldened by that result, Mr Dutton told close allies and MPs, including Mr Howarth, that he could win 10 seats off Labor and force Anthony Albanese into minority government. Liberal Party president John Olsen. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones Liberal Party federal director Andrew Hirst. Picture: Kym Smith Liberal Party president John Olsen confirmed the flawed polling would be a major target of the 'full and transparent' review of the federal campaign. On election night in the Liberal Party's campaign war room at Brisbane's the W Hotel, when it became obvious the Freshwater polling failed to predict the scale of Labor's victory, Mr Olsen challenged Coalition campaign director Andrew Hirst to explain what had gone wrong. Mr Olsen denied the confrontation was 'heated' but said 'we certainly had a conversation on polling, you wouldn't have to be Einstein to work that out'. Mr Howarth said Mr Dutton was let down by his own office, polling, poor policy development and an inability to counter Labor's devastating personal attacks. Mr Dutton was reassured by Freshwater twice during the campaign that he was ahead in his own seat of Dickson, which he went on to lose after three-time Labor candidate Ali France secured a 7.76 per cent swing to her. Mr Howarth said he did not poll his own seat of Petrie, partly because Labor had not announced a candidate until the eve of the campaign but mostly because he was reassured he was safe. He said Mr Dutton told him to help in neighbouring Lilley, held by Labor Sport Minister Anika Wells, so he raised $1.7m and spent $634,000 in his own seat of Petrie, before tipping $350,000 into Lilley and $400,000 into other seats. Mr Howarth has hundreds of thousands of dollars left in his campaign war chest but said he did not regret helping his colleagues. Defeated Queensland LNP MP Bert van Manen. Picture: Jerad Williams 'But the whole polling was wrong … I don't think the leader or his office had any idea what was coming – clearly – because they didn't think he'd lose his own seat. They didn't think I'd lose my seat.' Freshwater Strategy declined to comment and director Mike Turner is legally prevented from talking because he's still under contract with the party. It is understood the company did not decide which seats to poll, and that the pollster believes its research consistently and increasingly showed that Labor was the favourite to form government. Another defeated Queensland LNP MP, Bert van Manen, said there was no indication he would lose his seat of Forde, which he held on just over 4 per cent, but the working-from-home policy hurt his chances. 'Certainly I got no indication from anywhere that there were any risks (to my seat),' Mr van Manen said. 'It's an unusual situation for me because in every campaign I'm in the top five or 10 (marginal) seats in the country and nobody was discussing my seat or Luke (Howarth's) seat this time.' 'Not you guys (in the media), not pollsters, not Labor. From that perspective, it was strange that we got the result that we did. We need to have a good hard look at what went wrong.' Mr van Manen said the Coalition's policy to cancel working from home arrangements for public servants – which was later reversed – and plans to cut 41,000 Canberra bureaucrats hurt him. 'One hundred per cent I had that feedback directly. Women at the polling booths were concerned … and there's a general view in Queensland … that given what happened during Campbell Newman's tenure, that still resonates when you're talking about public servants.' Mr Newman's LNP government was defeated after just one term in power, following the sacking of about 14,000 state public servants. Read related topics: Peter Dutton Sarah Elks Senior Reporter Sarah Elks is a senior reporter for The Australian in its Brisbane bureau, focusing on investigations into politics, business and industry. Sarah has worked for the paper for 15 years, primarily in Brisbane, but also in Sydney, and in Cairns as north Queensland correspondent. She has covered election campaigns, high-profile murder trials, and natural disasters, and was named Queensland Journalist of the Year in 2016 for a series of exclusive stories exposing the failure of Clive Palmer's Queensland Nickel business. Sarah has been nominated for four Walkley awards. Got a tip? elkss@ GPO Box 2145 Brisbane QLD 4001 @sarahelks Sarah Elks
The Courier
08-05-2025
- The Courier
Drink-driver caught at six times the limit after Perthshire crashes
A drunken driver who demolished part of a village bridge and smashed into a parked car in Perthshire was weeks later caught motoring down the M90 at six times the legal limit. Siobhan Petrie accelerated into the side of a stone crossing in Dunning centre, before steering her Volvo into a stationary Land Rover. When police tried to breathalyse the 45-year-old, she bit down, sucked and blew lightly on the tube, preventing officers from getting an accurate reading. Just 12 weeks later, Petrie called for help from a motorway telephone, near Broxden, claiming she had run out of fuel and ranting incoherently. Petrie appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted charges of careless driving, drink-driving and refusing to provide specimens of breath. She was told she was lucky she had not hurt anyone. Village centre collision Fiscal depute Nicola Caira said Petrie drove the the village shop at about 8pm on January 6, parked and left her vehicle. 'But she stopped, paused and decided not to go to the shop. Instead she got back in her car. She appeared to be unsteady on her feet.' Siobhan Petrie crashed into the bridge wall on the B934 through Dunning. Image: Google A witness on her way home from a gym class saw Petrie putting her car into reverse and mounting a pavement. 'She then accelerated and turned sharply, hitting the stone wall of the bridge on the opposite side of the road,' said Ms Caira. 'She became stuck due to the debris. 'The wall collapsed and fell into the burn below.' The fiscal depute said: 'The accused then managed to move the vehicle forward, colliding with a green Land Rover before coming to a stop.' Members of the public from a nearby hotel came out to help. Petrie was taken into the bar and a friend was called to pick her up. Breathalyser Police officers went to the scene and saw the stranded car, before checking CCTV. When they spoke to Petrie at her friend's house, she confirmed she had been driving. When she was taken to Dundee police HQ to be breathalysed, she was uncooperative. Ms Caira said: 'She made attempts to hinder the process by placing the tube into her cheek, blowing lightly and biting down.' On her second attempt, she tried to suck on the tube and put in back inside her cheek. Ms Caira added: 'It was explained by the officer that she had one final chance to comply. She shook her head and sat down.' When charged, she replied: 'That's absolute b***ocks. Just take me home.' Motorway phone call The court heard that at about 2.20pm on March 29, police received a call from a roadside emergency phone on the M90, near Broxden. 'It was from a female, now identified as the accused, sounding extremely confused,' said the fiscal depute. Police went to the scene and saw Petrie 'holding onto' the roadside box, with a Corsa parked nearby. The M90 near the Broxden roundabout. Image: Google 'The accused was upset and emotional,' said Ms Caira. 'As she walked towards officers they noticed she was unsteady and staggering. 'The accused stated she had run out of fuel but she was incoherent and not making any sense.' She was breathalysed and gave an initial reading of 165 mics per 100 ml of blood, but later gave a confirmed reading of 132 mics. The legal limit is 22 mics. Wake-up call Solicitor Jamie Baxter, defending, said: 'Clearly there is an issue here that needs to be addressed. 'The accused does not have a great recollection of either of these occasions. 'She accepts that she had been drinking prior to these incidents. Regarding the second case, she had been drinking the night before.' Mr Baxter said when his client struck the bridge, the car's driveshaft snapped. When she was caught drink-driving on the motorway, she had been on her way to pick up a friend at Broxden. Perth Sheriff Court. Sheriff Derek Reekie told Petrie said: 'I really hope this has been a wake up call for you. 'You have a serious issue with alcohol and when you get behind the wheel on two occasions, that becomes a matter of serious public concern. 'You are very fortunate that there wasn't injury to others. 'You shouldn't have been anywhere near a car.' The sheriff questioned her claims her 'extraordinarily high' reading was caused by drinking the night before. Petrie, of Dunning, was banned from driving for four years, fined £1,050 and ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work. For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
