Blog Posts & Newsletters
Red Purse Day (Equal Pay Day)
The Gender Pay Gap
The gender pay gay is the difference between women’s and men’s average weekly full-time equivalent earnings, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. The national gender pay gap is calculated annually by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency using the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ labour force data. The gap is currently 17.9% and has hovered between 15% and 19% for the past two decades.
Some of the reasons for pay inequity and our worsening pay gap are:
- “women’s work” is undervalued
- In professions where women predominate, wages are generally lower than industry standards
- Women more often work part-time and in temporary jobs that have reduced hourly pay rates
- Women earn less than men because more men work in better-paid sectors and at higher levels in better-paid jobs.
- Women often face a ‘glass ceiling’; they do not move on to senior positions even when they have the same qualifications as men.
- Gender role stereotypes still predominate and our workforces are often segregated into women’s work and men’s work.
In 2015 in Australia:
- Women make up 6% of all employees;
- Women constitute 69.3% of all part-time employees, 35.7% of all full-time employees, and 57% of all casual employees:
- Women earn an average of 17.9% less than men (based on full time earnings).
- Of the ASX 200 companies, only 20% have female directors, of which 6% have female chairs and 6% have female CEO’s;
- On average, women receive just 6% of men’s superannuation payout on retirement.
- Women continue to bear the greatest share of domestic work and child care; and
Women continue to have unequal access to the benefits of workplace bargaining and are over-represented in low-paid jobs dependent on minimum wages and conditions.
Step into Spring
By Ariel Tate from ACA
Now is the perfect time to take advantage of the warmer weather and extra hours of daylight by putting on those joggers and heading outside for a walk.
In addition to improving your overall health these are some of the other benefits achieved by walking:
- It is inexpensive! No gym membership fees required here, this is an activity that almost everyone can participate in at a time and pace which suits your lifestyle best
- Walking helps improve your posture. Many of us spend countless hours at our desk and on our mobile phones, creating issues like ‘text neck’ caused from the crouching position. Walking helps to strengthen the spine and maintain a natural upright position
- The motion of walking also helps to rehydrate spinal discs. Through everyday movement, the pressure on our spinal discs causes the squeezing out of the discs water, and walking helps to allow for a higher flow of circulation, resulting in increased circulation of water to the discs.
- Continual walking helps create circulation to the spine. The increased blood flow helps bring the body into balance increasing and improving stamina and even lowering blood pressure!
- Helps increase mobility and flexibility. Being a low impact exercise, the movement of muscles help to relieve tension which can build up in the lower back area
- Combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, walking can assist with weight loss. Through losing weight, additional pressure on the spine and muscles becomes reduced.
- A great way to get social! Why not grab some friends and create a regular walking date? Having a consistent time reserved for walking with others is a great way to stay motivated, have a laugh and get fit all at the same time.
Not only is walking a great way to get active and improve both your mental and physical wellbeing, it is also a simple way that you can look after your spinal health.
Join the Just Start Walking community by downloading the Just Start Walking app. Track your progress, find walking routes and join local walking events.
For more information on maintaining a healthy spine, please visit the website of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia at www.chiropractors.asn.au
Your Body, Your Choice
There is a myth that once you see a chiropractor, you will have to keep going for the rest of your life.
When it comes to health care, there are many habits you could choose to do e.g. eating well and exercising. you can choose to do these habits for a short time or a long time. That’s the same with chiropractic.
It is common that people see chiropractors for symptoms, but there are also many people who choose chiropractors as a part of their general health care regime.
When you choose to live a healthier lifestyle and notice the benifits, it makes sense to maintain these health new habits. But ultimately, the decision is yours. you are in charge of your own life.
It’s your body so therefore it’s your choice!
“Chiropractic Care is Safe”
The research shows that chiropractic care has an enviable safety record compared to most other healthcare (1-3).
All healthcare interventions are associated with some risk (4). Most chiropractic patient will feel a bit stiff and sore after they have been adjusted but this usually settles quickly by itself.
Scientific evidence shows that serious injuries from chiropractic are extremely rare (5-7). In fact, you are about 10 times more likely to be seriously injured driving to or from your appointment than whilst being treated by your Chiropractor (8).
Estimates by researchers puts the risk of serious adverse events from Chiropractic care as somewhere between 1 in 20 thousand to 1 in several million treatment visits (5).
Thus, you can feel confident that with your chiropractor “you’re in safe hands”.
References:
- Rafter et al. QJM QJM. 2015 Apr:108(4):273-7
- Rubinstein. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2008:31(6):461-4
- Carnes et al.Man Ther. 2010;15(4):355-63
- Jevne et al. Chiropr Man Therap. 2014;22(1):37
- Gouveia et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2009;34(11):E405-13
- Herbert et al.J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2015;38(9);677-91
- Walker et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013;38(20):1723-9;
- NHTS Administration, Traffic Safety Facts 2012. Washington, DC.