Unsure about pursuing her own situation, Frieda rang another colleague in a chemical company where redundancies had been offered recently. While there was no similar situation, she was concerned to hear about Milanka who after 7 years went on maternity leave. She found out 4 weeks before returning that her position had been made redundant. Prior to going on leave she completed a form requesting permission to return to her role part-time. Her request was granted and she signed a document noting her employment arrangements had altered, as requested by HR, and then left to have her baby. Ten months on, her job now redundant Milanka was told she could either access a redundancy payment calculated on the part-time role she would have returned to, or an alternative part-time project role, for 6 months. When the project role concluded however there was no redundancy, it was like the end if a contract.

Frieda unnerved about what was happening to women, couldn’t quite pull together the pieces to call it discrimination but knew it just wasn’t right. She reflected on how things would be better for her graduates. Marcus Trunch was off to the new WA mine and Katarina Kos to Public Affairs. Cathy Vu and Jay Hava were requested by the Business Development Unit which was expanding despite redundancies elsewhere.

Frieda rang Marcus about moving interstate. He asked how Jay’s travel arrangements were going. Aware she wasn’t as informed as she should be, she finished the call and headed for Arthur’s office. Her face must have said it all as Arthur immediately smiled and launched into “ah yes, our CEO has taken a liking to the young man we’re about to discuss. He decided a 6 month stint in the Bangkok office was the right placement, especially as he’s planning to be there regularly himself over the next 6 months. He wants Jay there meeting people and organising things to ensure the trips run smoothly. The other staff up there are flat out and can’t concentrate on the CEO visits and client entertainment. I believe Jay was told last week when they met at a function hosted by Jay’s father. So lets not waste time having the conversation I know you’re itching to have; just organise it. Move him off the graduate pay scheme to level- one management. Organise the Qantas Club and book business class tickets.”

Annoyed, Frieda emailed Arthur ‘good to see CEO interest in our talented graduates, speaking of which, unlike Cathy Vu, Jay doesn’t speak Asian languages, would you like me to arrange cultural briefings and a crash Thai language course ? Also as this is a promotion off the 3 year graduate pay scheme after 1 year I’ll need a job description, is the CEO my point of contact, or Jay ? Plus, it’s standard practice to announce the graduate placements in the newsletter, feel free to draft the paragraph announcing Jay’s placement, as I’m sure what to say. Finally what would you like me to tell Cathy Vu when she asks (because I know she will ask) why Jay got this job?’

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