News & Views

Purpose and stakeholder-centred business remains the critical, go-forward strategy. 2020 has only accelerated this notion. Porter Novelli evaluated the past 365 days’ worth of Purpose-driven campaigns, initiatives and announcements to bring you the Top 10 Trends of 2020. and what’s on the horizon for 2021. Register HERE

Volunteering Australia CEO Mark Pearce considers the structural issues facing volunteering in light of the challenges we’ve seen this year and longer-term trends, in this article adapted from a presentation given in a recent Pro Bono Australia webinar. Read the article HERE

Many people will be wearing a red ribbon today to show support for those living with HIV and remember those who died from AIDS-related illness. (Australia) Learn More HERE

Workplace Giving Australia has announced this year’s winners the winners of the 2020 Workplace Giving Excellence Awards. AusLSA member King & Wood Mallesons received Highly Commended award under the Best Employer Response to a Crisis category The award details provide a wealth of information and ideas for your own approach to workplace giving More about the awards HERE

Thirty two AusLSA members have published their commitments and performance against the nineteen sustainability elements of the AusLSA sustainability framework. The report provides a window into the initial impacts of COVID and identifies factors that will influence the sustainability of law firms for years to come. Read the report HERE and Read the LinkedIn article HERE

The National Pro Bono Centre recently released its thirteen national target report, and despite the national challenges faced in the past two years, demonstrated that the dedication to pro bono work has not faltered. They state that Australian lawyers have reported a record 16.5% rise in pro bono hours compared to the year before. Target signatories reported undertaking an average of 36.4 hours of pro bono legal services per lawyer in FY2020, exceeding the Target of 35 hours which is the highest average number of pro bono hours per lawyer reported since 2011 and is higher than the 35.8 hour average reported in FY2019.

See their press release (with a link to the report) HERE

As it approaches its bicentenary, AusLSA Member firm Ashurst, has launched a Modern Slavery Action Plan to support the eradication of all forms of slavery that exist today. This plan considers the role that Ashurst, its clients, colleagues and stakeholders can play.

See more about this in an article from Lawyers Weekly HERE and more detail about this Plan from the Ashurst Website HERE.

The Law Council of Australia, in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Council, have released a new fact sheet to help businesses understand their reporting requirements under the Modern Slavery Act.

It is estimated that more than half of modern slavery victims live in the Asia-pacific region, where many supply chains of Australian business are located.

For more information, see the LCA media release HERE, the fact sheet HERE and an article from Lawyers Weekly HERE

According to Deloitte, for every month of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia has lost one year on progress towards economic gender equality. Women seem to shouldering a bigger burden of home care and are more likely to be affected by job cuts, a view which is shared by WGEA. They both agree that gender equality needs to be at the heart of our economic recovery. Read some of Deloitte's responses and strategies HERE.

AusLSA Member firm DLA Piper has published an overview of a newly released report from the Fair Work Commission entitled 'Draft Award Flexibilty Schedule'. This document considers the impacts of the accelerated needs emerging from working from home and it intended to assist employers facilitate workplace flexibility in this area.

See the DLA Piper Publication HERE, or the Fair Work Commission document HERE.