SDS Thought Centre

Commentary

DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the opinions of any person or entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated. Please note that these views may be subject to change, revision or rethinking at any time and may not be held in perpetuity.

All content on this website is informational only and cannot or should not be construed as Professional Advice. Readers who act on the information on this website do so at their own risk.

9 May 2023

Supporting Pregnant Women in the Workforce

How we can support pregnant women in the workforce better?

1. Realise and recognise that #pregnancy is a fact of life and normalise having pregnant women in the workforce without automatically seeing them as a liability.

2. Support your #pregnantcoworker when they are going through pregnancy challenges and are unwell. You will find that it is highly likely they will appreciate your gesture so much that they will give back 10 fold when they can.

3. Stop treating pregnancy like it is a disease, inconvenience, a form of selfishness, letting the team down and overall a career limiting move. It is not.

4. Don't expect women to apologise for being pregnant whilst trying to earn their bread and butter in the workforce.

5. Don't assume that pregnancy makes a woman incompetent, incapable or unable to perform her duties. Yes, some reasonable adjustments may have to be made but it doesn't mean that women have to be excluded from safe meaningful duties (which is sometimes done unfortunately as a form of punishment).

6. Don't judge pregnant women in the workforce based on outdated biases and stereotypes.

Workplaces thrive when there is healthy diversity, inclusion, equity and equality in the right contexts.

Note:
- We exist
- We are a reality
- We unapologetically hold space for ourselves
- We deserve support during this chapter of our lives
- We don't owe anybody anything
- We are not a liability
- Our credibility and hard earned respect is not something to be discounted once pregnant in the workforce

#pregnancy #work #career #pregnantandworking #genderbias #genderequality #genderequity #poorattitudes #supportpregnantworkers

Sherlin S.

29 January 2023

Jelena Dokic Stands Up to Online Trolls

I really admire Jelena Dokic. She's intelligent, professional and her commentary on the tennis played at the Australian Open shows the depth of her knowledge and experience in the sport.

When Jelena is on the Commentary Panel, I know as a home viewer I'm going to get great insight into the players and the match, particularly with the women's matches.

Men have been the focus of many sports to date you see. So it's nice to have some female representation doing some real justice when talking about quality female players on court.

Recently, Jelena has received negative comments online regarding her weight and these trolls have taken it upon themselves to target her personally.

The grace and professionalism with which Jelena has handled herself is admirable to say the least. Every time Jelena has spoken on the issue, she has emphasised that she's not only standing up for herself but for all the other people who have experienced unwarranted online trolling or online bullying.

Women like Jelena inspire me. Haters are going to hate. You do you and you be you Jelena. Keep showing up each day and making your contribution to the sport you love.

You are an Asset to the Channel Nine Commentary team and to the Australian Open coverage in general. More power to you!

If you or someone you know is struggling with the impact of online trolls or online bullying, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Sherlin S.

14 November 2022

The Medibank Data Breach and the
Appalling Act of the Cyber Criminals behind it

Recently it has been reported that Cyber Criminals attacked the Medibank database accessing the private information of several Medibank Customers.

After initially asking for a large ransom amount and being rejected by Medibank Leadership, apparently these Cyber Criminals went on to threaten that they would release incredibly sensitive information about women who had had an abortion, miscarriage and related medical procedures/ assistance. When their ransom amounts were rejected again, they went ahead with their threats and released this information on the dark web.

I am appalled that these hackers would stoop so low and try to use tactics of compromising vulnerable groups to further their cause. Whilst it may not be surprising for Cyber Security Professionals and Law Enforcement out there, it is a punch in the guts for the women empowerment movement worldwide.

We must stand together united against these criminals and support each other through these back to back Cyber Security attacks on Australian companies (with Optus being another victim of these attacks).

Whilst the companies themselves need to work on improving their Cyber Security to prevent future data breaches, this is also the time for them to step up and provide their impacted customers with active support.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the impact of your data being released by these criminals, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Sherlin S.

14 September 2022

Today I reflect on the important topic of Burnout. I recently listened to a great Podcast Episode by Yumi Stynes that I thought did justice to this topic, especially as it relates to women.

Numerous studies over the years have revealed that women take on a greater 'mental load' than their male counterparts and do the lions share of unpaid work including caregiving and housework.

This podcast really sheds light on the significant impact this excessive workload has on the health and wellbeing of women in general.

These issues have been exacerbated in recent times by the Covid-19 Pandemic with lockdowns, isolation and home schooling added to the load.

We need to make sure that the women in our lives get time for rest, recovery, relaxation and overall self-care.

Here is the link to the Podcast called 'Burnout':

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/ladies-we-need-to-talk/burnout/101370302

If you or someone you know is struggling with Burnout, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Sherlin S.

13 July 2022

Tax Season is here! 🙋🏽‍♀️

We assist:

Students

Law Firms

Teachers

Small Business Owners

Sole Traders

Real Estate Agents

...and many many more people and businesses!

Call Sherlin at SDS Accounting on 0480 274 732 and see how we can assist you with your Individual and Business Tax Preparation Needs! 😀

5 July 2022

Tax Season is here! Why go to big name providers and pay a fortune for the same or similar service/s?

Call Sherlin at SDS Accounting on 0480 274 732 and see how we can assist you with your Individual and Business Tax Preparation Needs! 😀

22 March 2022

I am incredibly happy to be announced as one of the winners of the CPA Australia Micro-credential Special Offer - A bite size course in Risk Management, Governance and Regulation.

A huge thank you to CPA Australia who have recently introduced a new Small and Medium Business Committee for supporting sole practitioners like myself in growing our skill set and contributing to our professional development.

8 March 2022

On this International Women's Day 2022, I acknowledge all those people who have contributed to the progress of women in all facets of life.

Here I share a poem by Rupi Kaur called 'Legacy' whose work I really admire that sums up my sentiments.

Happy International Women's Day 2022!

21 February 2022

Bookkeeping is not just an expense, it is an investment. When your business books are in order, meaningful and impactful strategic decisions can be made to add value to your business in the long term.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMB's) often underestimate the value of the bookkeeping function. It is common for bookkeeping to be ignored until tax time and only done for the purposes of lodging tax documents or meeting tax obligations.

I think it is important to acknowledge that the more accurate our transactional figures are in real time, the more value they provide leadership and decision makers in the business in real time. The P&L Statement and Balance Sheet then become tools to help navigate the business in its intended direction (which may be evident in a business's mission, vision or purpose statement).

7 October 2021

As NSW residents are eager to gain various freedoms in the coming weeks, this quote is a timely reminder of how much we have grown throughout this most recent lockdown. Overcoming adversity builds character.

15 September 2021

3 September 2021

The Importance of not becoming desensitised to
Covid-19 related deaths

Today at 11am, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian gave her daily update of the Covid-19 situation in NSW. She reported that there were approximately 1431 new cases and 12 deaths. Yes, 12 deaths. Many of these people were from the South-West Sydney community.

Whilst this has become the norm during the pandemic to hear of new cases being reported everyday alongside deaths, breaches of Public Health Orders and locations of new exposure sites, it is important that we never become desensitised by these statistics of Covid-19 related deaths.

Each person who has succumb to this deadly virus is likely to have parents, children, family, relatives, friends or loved ones in some shape or form who are grieving their sudden loss.

The concept of humanity is built on us human beings being kind, empathetic and compassionate. Whilst it is not ideal to go to the other extreme and completely shut down listening to these figures, it is important to be mindful of those who have lost their lives and their loved ones.

So when we talk about these figures, just like Gladys and Dr Kerry Chant has role modelled to us, let's be considerate. Let's not get caught up in the media hype and the dramatised reporting. Let's come back to basics and be mindful in the way we talk about Covid-19 related deaths.

Sending my thoughts and prayers to those who are suffering from the grief and loss of a loved one at this time 🙏🏽

If this article has brought up issues for you, then please seek support from LifeLine 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.

Sherlin S.

30 August 2021

A Beautiful Sanskrit Mantra for these Difficult Times

I start this week by sharing a beautiful Sanskrit Mantra given everything that is happening in the world at the moment.

It is my hope that it will create positive vibrations that will reach those who need it the most 🕉

#Sanskritmantra #positivevibes #happiness #life #peace #mindfulness #spirituality #meditation #love #healing #freedom

Sherlin S.

28 August 2021

Well Done Edmondson Park, NSW
for Leading the Covid-19 Vaccination Efforts!

It has been reported in recent times on the NSW Government website that Edmondson Park, NSW is one of the suburbs that has the highest first dose and second dose vaccination rates in the whole of NSW! I am proud to be a resident of this wonderful suburb and commend other residents for their contribution to the health and safety of the South-West Sydney Community.

What an amazing effort! We all have a role to play in getting through this pandemic and it is clear that we are doing our bit!

To see vaccination rates in your postcode, please check relevant NSW Government websites. Here is the link for the one I checked:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/find-the-facts-about-covid-19#map-of-nsw-vaccinations-by-home-postcode

Stay Safe!

Sherlin S.

16 August 2021

Genuine Frustration due to Pfizer & Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine Supply and Accessibility Issues in South-West Sydney

This article comes from a place of genuine frustration. Many people like myself currently want to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus with either the Pfizer vaccine which seems to be in limited supply or the Moderna vaccine which apparently is meant to arrive in Australia next month.

Appointments for Pfizer at the South West Sydney Hub are booked months in advance and by the time I went to book, I received an appointment in the first week of September 2021. Now the earliest available when I last checked is late October 2021.

There are some of us who want to protect ourselves and our communities from this deadly disease and feel somewhat helpless with regards to the accessibility issues.

When completing my Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Sydney, one of my majors was Economics. Basic economics tells us that when Demand is greater than Supply, we have a shortage. In this case, a vaccine shortage. From my understanding, it is this shortage that is leading to limited appointments being available for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines resulting in ground level accessibility issues.

Then I hear stories of cancellations of appointments for the Pfizer vaccines leading to perfectly good doses being thrown out at the end of each day in vaccination locations. I'm horrified!

So here are some thoughts on solutions or possible strategies:

1. Alongside the current leaders in NSW who are tackling this issue daily, we need someone who has expertise in logistics, transportation and the operational side of things to join this leadership team. Someone whose main focus is to form and co-ordinate a team of people who work out how to get jabs into arms on the ground. This involves planning and establishing long-term vaccination hubs as well as short term pop-up or walk in clinics.

From where I am standing, I cannot see where this person/ team currently is or if they even exist. Each day at 11am, get this person to report alongside The Hon. Gladys Berejiklian and Dr. Kerry Chant on how many Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines are being sent out and to which location. People want to see equity in vaccination accessibility.

2. Start giving exact dates not general timeline statements like "next month" as to when Pfizer/Moderna vaccines are going to arrive. We need to raise awareness on not just where we can access these vaccines but when we can access them. Also, we need accountability through evidence in numbers of relevant vaccine supply and then uptake accordingly.

There is no point in constantly reporting that South-West Sydney has the lowest vaccination uptake when currently the Darlinghurst Vaccine Hub at St Vincent's Hospital, last I checked on the NSW Government Booking Portal, has Pfizer accessibility throughout August 2021 but from my search daily spanning over the last couple of weeks currently there are zero appointments available in South-West Sydney for the same. Then there's reports about the vaccine uptake being higher in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney. Well of course there is a higher uptake in those areas if greater supply is there to meet the demand! Distribute more Pfizer/Moderna vaccines to South-West Sydney alongside AstraZeneca and I am sure that you will see vaccination rates skyrocket!

Sherlin S.

7 August 2021

Some Thoughts on the South-West Sydney Lockdown

A Message of Hope in Uncertain Times

At the time of writing, South-West Sydney is in the strictest of Covid-19 lockdowns whilst case numbers are rising to record levels in NSW. Many people in our community are doing it tough and I just wanted to share a message of hope in these uncertain times.

We are a community of people who come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Many of us have already overcome different levels of adversity throughout our journey to get to where we are today and this has helped us build strength, resilience and good character.

It is in working together that we will find a road to recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic. This too shall pass. Change is the only constant. There will come a day when we will begin to reclaim much of what we lost that we miss and take with us the ways we have grown and what we have learnt during this tough time. Hang in there!

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