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Editorial
Editorial

…Changing climate…! 

In our present newsletter issue, now that all the attention is focused on the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27) at Sharm El-Sheikh, we thought to give a little more emphasis in an environmental topic ('changing climate') that seems not to be of the direct interest of the HR function.

But we wanted grasp the occasion to 'change climate' as well and contribute as company against Climate Change supporting the change of attitude needed at this point of time. We believe that anything that matters must attract our attention and interest and - ever more - everything that matters to all people on earth must be a matter for HR to consider.

While talking to candidates during recruiting interviews, many of us had the chance, as recruiters, to find out how high young candidates raise their expectations from their future employers... Much more than a fair salary, they seek companies that have a social and humanitarian vision as they want to feel that their future job has a higher end and purpose. Statistics show that a company that shows respect to the Nature, Humanity and Environment has more chances to attract a candidate than another that just pays well and offers a good work environment.

But also banks and business valuators are giving high attention to the 'Social Responsibility' and focus on the Sustainable Development Reports presented each year by companies together with the yearly results to shareholders and the public, while people are more and more investing based on ESG criteria 

[ Environmental (waste & pollution, resource depletion, greenhouse gas emission, deforestation, climate change etc.) Social (employee relations & diversity, working conditions, local communities, health & safety, conflict, child labor etc.) Governance (tax strategy, executive remuneration, donations & lobbying, corruption & bribery, board diversity & structure etc.) ]

From a different angle, we must not forget the risk - always there – of some corporate incident relating to health or the environment and how easily a company’s' image can be impacted. HR teams that had a similar experience know this very well, stay alert and always give special attention to preventive action, processes, training, controls, intervention, documentation, assessment.

Also, in this issue, we have asked IT scientist and Board Member of a Software development Company Mr. Vassilis Tsetsos to be our guest and share with us his views about how he sees work evolving in the era of digitalization.
The ‘Work Digital Card’ was another topic keeping HR teams busy this month. We have had the chance to talk with the company involved in the ‘set up’ of this card, EpsilonHR, a member of the EpsilonNet group of companies (see HR excellence).

In ‘Live Up’, John Ioannou introduces in his article the concept of authenticity at work ‘Το be or not to be’ authentic is the question, while Pavlos Avramopoulos – in ‘News from Brussels’ is giving us a topic of special focus. It is about the new EU directive on the 60-40 gender mix for the Boards or the Management population (66-33) alternatively. 

Finally, we did another change, inaugurating a column called ‘Pop Up’ hosting topics that can really pop up in the office put us out of our zone of comfort as they would need special handling and tact. At the end we will collect your opinion about the way you would have handled the specific situation and publish the generic feedback when the next issue pops up again…

From the editorial team of your online newsletter Further Update

EDITING TEAM FOR THIS ISSUE:

  • Anastasia Makarigaki
  • Raoul Briche
  • Dimitris Tzimas
  • Nefeli Christopoulou

ARTWORK FOR THIS ISSUE:

till noon
A.Ω.

DESIGN + WEB:

EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTORS:

  • Pavlos Avramopoulos
  • John Ioannou
  • Vassilis Tsetsos
  • EpsilonHR

LEGAL RESPONSIBLE:

Up Front
Up Front

good < Great << GREEN
 

Changing climate...

Who would imagine 70 years ago that 'Environment' would be such an important matter for the human being. The term environment was even not mentioned at the time in the founding text of the UN organization that organized for the last 40 years the environmental conventions and summits nor in the EEC foundation texts. 

50 years ago, things started to change. When the Club of Rome published its report ‘the limits to Growth’ giving the message that we should see the development with another eye, one would need a lof of imagination to become able to see how fast the limits have been trespassed at the expense of the Environment and Nature.

One would need even bigger imagination to convince somebody about the fact that all the technology shown at the science fiction films shown on the b&w TV screens would have been out of date today.

The third industrial revolution, made by microchips, IT and digital technology followed by the fourth revolution managed to delight the human beings and - like fire with Prometheus – gave them access to new experiences (…democratized them at a certain degree) – giving them also the means that could skyrocket their capabilities making them feel as the masters of this World… Homo Superior…

During this wild-enthusiastic ascending path of creation, humans flew that high, bringing the distant Universe much closer but having also lost contact with the Earth omitting to give her the proper attention or – more rightly – the proper respect, to the nature, the environment and to all creatures that coexist with them (animals, plants, natural resources).
It was not by pure luck that humans took the name ‘anthropoi’ - 'The one who looks high'.

How about another attribute describing the same creature? ‘Those who always create, always destroy and fix again’
And thus - ‘imperceptibly’- we did arrive in the era of 'Climate Change', creating things, destroying plenty of others and trying to fix them now.

The truth is that many of those things would not be able to get fixed while others would take a lot of time and effort until they will get fixed, demanding sacrifices from all, not only financial but also psychological like a change of attitude…
Today, as we talk, what matters most is to realize that Environment and Nature need us - more than we think we need them... 

This will be the first great step – this change of attitude - that will enable us to see things clearer about what we need to do at a personal and group level so that we can pass the Earth on to the next generations in the same condition that we would like to have found ourselves.

For those who lack imagination about what they can do personally, with the family or in a group to help the Environment and Nature, they must certainly have to talk with their Human Resources Department… Don’t worry... They might have prepared something good to be on the safe side... as they use to do with other things too…

1

Ecologys' time line

Any thinking person needs to stay informed or at least have an idea about the situation in which its hosting planet is and about the impact human action (voluntary or not) has with all the risks that follow.  Apart from luck, future is also made from the present and the past.

We believe that the following ´ecology time-line´ can help to this.
On the left of the time line, we can see various facts that had a negative impact on the environment and life in general starting from the moment the term ‘ecology’ has been coined until today, while on the right side you see some of the ‘corrective’ actions and human interventions.
Showing respect for our readers’ time we have fixed the objective to ‘open’ a window looking backwards in order to give them the chance to have a quick look on things that happened or continue to happen and matter to them understand how ´on earth´ we have got here.
We avoided going too much in detail or to go critical  – the reader can do this by reading the press and the various sources that are available.
We can now get an opinion and gain ideas about what we can do. This is something important to start with in the present moment.

1866

‘Ecology’… a new term coined by the German biologist Ersnt Haeckel 

1889

Slaughter of the American Buffalo

1900

Chestnut blight - Fungus introduced by imported trees from Asia destroys Europes' and North Americas' Chestnut

1902

Convention for the Protection of Birds Useful to Agriculture signed by 10 european countries

1910

Dutch Elm disease. Fungus spread by the bark beetle

Oil Geyser in Kern leaks 1,1 million t. crude oil

1912

Ιtai-Itai disease from mining toxic waist poisoning in river Jinzu - Japan

1914

Use of modern chemical weapons in WW 1

1918

Rats from ship Makambo dance Mambo in Lord Howe Island... destroying ecosystem and biodiversity

1920

Production and use of Τetraethyllead to boost gasoline, engines’ compression (and toxic emissions) for a century

1922

Foundation of the International Council for Bird Preservation (later on 'Birdlife')

1930

Introduction of CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons) in our daily life in cooling liquids and spray propellants (aerosol)

1937

(Greece) Law for the Forest protection Law

1939

Drought, dustbowls and industrial development force the farmers to quit their farms in Oklahoma

1944

 (Greece) – Water scarcity in Athens

1945

Nuclear bomb hits Hiroshima & Nagasaki 

Creation of UN (United Nations)

1948

Donora Smog: Deadly Smog in Pennsylvania caused by toxic emissions from steel processing

Foundation of the International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN) later IUCN 

1949

UN Scientific Conference about conservation and utilization of natural resources

1950

Asbestos. A new material enters in our life. It becomes dangerous when microparticles get inhaled 

1951

Nuclear test in Nevada 

 (Greece) – Foundation of the Greek Society for the protection of Nature 

1952

The Great Smog of London: coke heating toxic emissions and particles in the air kill thousants 

1954

Nuclear tests in Marshall Islands

1956

Minamata Disease in Japan by mercury waste poisoning

Clean Air Act in the UK

1957

Explosion in plutonium treatment nuclear facilities in Kyshtym in Soviet Union

Fire in the nuclear factory of Windscale in the UK

1960

Plastic bag becomes part of the Shoppers' life

Yokkaichi asthma caused by Sulfure dioxide emissions in the Japanese minners town 

Anti-Sparrow campaign in China (despite birds' beneficial role against parasites).
 

Foundation of Unesco’s International Biological Program (IBP) with the collaboration of ICSU (International Committee of Scientific Unions)

 

1961

Use of biological weapons in Vietnam War

Foundation of WWF 

(Greece) – Mount Parnitha becomes a protected national 
forest 

(Greece) – Exhaust pipe emission controls around Athens

Accident in a Soviet Union Submarine off Greenland

1962

Oil pipes and human error spill 1 million gallons of oil in the Mississippi River

(Greece) –Reforestation program for Attica 

1963

3,5 million gallons of soya oil spill in Pepin Lake in Minnesota from a Soya depot

USSR, US and Great Britain sign a treaty for the ban of nuclear tests in the atmosphere

1964

IUCN creates the ‘Red List of Endangered Species 

1966

French nuclear tests in French Polynesia in S. Pacific

The first sea tidal impoundment barrage gets inaugurated in France. 

1967

(Greece) – Big fire burns big forest area in Mitilini Island

Supertanker spills 94 million lt crude Oil in the Cornish sea and coasts

1968

Supertanker spills 3 million gallons in Puerto Rico 

Cuyahoga River in Cleveland ignite from pollution

UNESCO organizes the International Experts Biosphere Conference leading to the Stockholm Conference in 1972

TV Broadcasting of the ‘Odyssey of the Cousteau team’ 

1970

Minamata syndrome in Ontario – Canada due to waste containing Mercury

‘Earths Day’ in San Francisco. The first environmental protest rally

1971

Greenpeace foundation

UN International Treaty RAMSAR – for the protection of wetlands
 

1972

Red Imported Fire Ants ‘conquest’ Asia, Australia and N.Zealand

Oil dwells of Lago Agrio in Equador pollute land

Two Tankers collide in the Gulf of Oman. 115.000 t of crude oil spilled

Τhe Club of Rome publishes a report ‘The limits to Growth’

First UN conference for the Environment touches ground in Stockholm

Approval of the UN program UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) 
[ UNEP employs 7 interlinked sub-programs for action:
Climate Action, Chemicals and Pollutions Action, Nature Action, Science Policy, Environmental Governance, Finance and Economic Transformations and Digital Transformation]

UN convention about the worlds heritage

The ‘London Convention’ promoting the control of all sources of marine pollution 

DDT gets banned in the USA 

1973

Creation of the first GMO

international convention on sea pollution prevention gets signed ( Marpol )

Kenya bans elephant hundting and Ivory trade

1974

Hairspray impacts the Ozone layerScientists announce

Rene Dumon: The first ´Green Party´ candidate for the French Presidentia

1975

Layer of ice in Antarctica below 5 m continues to thin down

Ecological disaster from coal dust industrial waste in Cape Breton – Canada

Supertanker runs aground outside Leixoes in Portugal. 40.000 t of oil pollute sea and shores

1976

Seveso dioxin industrial disaster in Italy

Between 1976 – 2001, more than 6.500 spills of oil polluted Niger’s river delta, UNDP says

Ecological disaster at Seveso Plant in Ιταλίας (dioxine)

1977

Snow in Miami

Thousands of tons of toxic wastedumped near Niagara Falls town. The area enters in the Superfund plan for 22 years 

(Greece) – Measures against the Smog are taken in Athens. 

1978

Tanker splits in three and spills 220.000 t of crude oil in the sea and Brittany Coasts

Great fire burns Mountain Penteli forest area

Oil distillery waste pollutes for decades the Greenpoint area in New York

Pesticide Industry pollutes with toxic waste Mapua – in New Zealand

Aral Sea in Kazakhstan in Soviet Union disapears by the intensive irrigation & diversion of nearby rivers

Sweden bans hairspray and products containing CFC

1979

Collision of supertankers. 287.000 t of oil spilled in the sea outside Tobago islands

Three Mile Island - Pennsylvania Nuclear Accident. Cleanup takes 14 years

Thousands of fish & sea creatures captured each year by 'ghost' nets

Gasleak from underwater Oil dwell in the Gulf of Mexico spills 120.000 t of oil in the Golf of Mexico

Boat collision with tanker in Bosporus. 30.000 t. of gas burn & 60.000 t spill in the sea

World Climate Conference in Geneva. UN creates the WCP (World Climate Program)

International Convention for the acid rain prevention and the Long Range Trans-boundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) 

1980

Sea pollution by oil tanker spillage in the Navarino bay

Chemical poisoning decimates the vultures in India (Diclofenac)

Waste incinerator in Astugi base in the Japanese town Ayase pollutes environment with dioxin and heavy metals

Corals are bleaching due to the increase in temperatures level

UNEP, IUCN and WWF publish the World Conservation Strategy report. The concept of sustainable development is introduced

US Congress approves the Comprehensive, Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Superfund frame program for environmental recovery.

1981

(Greece) – Heavy smog in the air above Athens – Attica. Contingency plan is on

(Greece) – Arson puts mount Hymetus forest in Attica on fire

1982

(Greece) – Fire burns forest land in Attica (Bogiati) and Karpathos.

2nd Earth Summit in Nairobi.

Greenpeace activists block dumpbing of Nuclear Waste in Spain

1983

(Greece) – Athens most polluted EEC capital according to EEC report

Town ghosts in Missouri from dioxin waste

War in the Persian Gulf. Oil dwells and platforms burn during months 

Supertanker sinks off Cape Town. 170.000 cubic meters oil spill

Creation of the UN Word Commission for the Environment and Growth (WCED producing comprehensive reports for UN decision making

1984

Industrial accident in Bhopal. Pesticide emissions - Cyanide kills thousands of people

1985

Explosion of a soviet unions’ submarine nuclear reactor in the bay of Chazhma 

Helsinki Protocol on sulfur emissions reduction gets signed 

Vienna convention provides the framework for international reductions in the production of CFC and the protection of Ozone Layer

Resolution A.591 (14) on the prevention of marine pollution 

1986

Radiation from Ukraine Chernobyl’s Nuclear Reactor explosion pollutes the Northern Hemisphere

Toxic emissions and waste released by a chemical factory pollute the Rhine

Nuclear waste dumped in Hanford Site near Washington pollute Columbia river and the atmosphere

Battery recycling factories in Los Angeles and in other towns of US pollute the soil with lead

1987

Montreal Protocol for the protection of the Ozone Layer has been ratified by all 198 UN Member States. Regulates the production and consumption of 100 man-made chemicals referred to as ODS (Ozone Depleting Substances)

UN Word Commission for the Environment and Development (WCED) ‘Our Common Future’ (also called ‘Brundtland report’) is the basis for the ‘Agenda 21’ (1992) for the implementation of the ‘sustainable Development’

1988

Tanker sinks out of Nova Scotia - Canada. 160.000 t of oil spill in the sea in an area where krill develops

Creation of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) established by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). 

The ‘Copenhagen amendment’ in the protocol of Montreal for the Ozone layer is acceleration the ban of additional dangerous substances

3rd Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro for the Environment and Development CNUED brings 3 conventions: 
1. UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change assembling the COP (conference of the Parties) on a yearly basis
2. CBD – Convention on Biological Diversity (with UNBD Conference)
3. UNCCD – Convention to combat Desertification – ratified in 1994 

Treaty between US and Soviet Union signed by presidents Reagan and Gorbachev to reduce the nuclear missiles of medium range

1989

Tanker oil spill disaster. 37000 tonnes of crude oil pollute sea and shores at Prince William Sound -Alaska.

(Greece) – fire destroys big forest area in Parnitha

Coral reefs in Australia are threatened by climate change and pollution

Industrial accident at a distillery in Pasadena – Texas. 23 people dye. Toxic emissions in the atmosphere

UN Helsinki conference - 79 states commit to reduce their CFC emissions 

International treaty of Basel about dangerous waste exports in developing countries

1990

(Greece) – Big Oil spil 25 klm long in the Saronic bay off Athens

French philosopher Michel Serres publishes the ‘Natural Contract’ and his ideas about animal rights

Swarms of the hybrid Africanized killer bee escapes quarantine and invades progressively the US territory threatening local bees, humans or animals that ‘invade’ their areas

Death in Alamosa river – Colorado. Waste from heavy metals and acids kills life

Wetlands shore erosion in Louisiana due to pollution

Draining program of Mesopotamian Marches threatens ecosystem

Bbenzene found in famous mineral water. Company recalls all product accross the World 

French philosopher Michel Serres ideas about animal rights reach the public.

e-Cemetery in Guiyu. Thousands of workers are treating daily e-waste from 100 trucks

1991

War in the Gulf ignites oil dwells and platforms

Tanker sinks off Genoa spilling polluting with crude oil sea and shores

Train derails in Dunsmuir, California. Railroad car containing 72.000 of pesticides tumbles off the bridge over the Sacramento river killing aquatic life on a 64 km stretch of river 

Tanker sinks off the shores of Angola. 260.000 t of oil pollute sea

IUCN publishes the ‘Caring for the Earth’ (the successor to the ‘World Conservation Strategy’ published in 1980)

War in Yugoslavia. Impact on environment is disastrous 

The ‘Madrid Protocol’ stops mining activity in Antarctica

1992

Greenpeace ship detained by Russian Army during activist operations at the Novaya Zemplya Nuclear Testing Archipelago. Between 1955 - 1990, 132 nuclear detonations took place according to information.

The Ozone stratospheric Layer in the Antartic covers covers 3 times the size of USA.

Exportation of hazardous wastes practice to Mexico has been reveiled by environmental organisations.

(Greece) – Fire destroys 2000 acres of forest in Kreta (Hania)

Tanker Aegaean Sea disaster. 79000 tonnes of light crude oil pollute Spanich coasts (La Korounia)

Explosion at an Oil dwell in Fergana – Uzbekistan. Leak of 285.000 t of oil

UN Rio Convention. 
[ Outcomes: 
1. The Rio Declaration with 27 principles for the protection of our Earth was published
2. The Agenda 21 plans the environmental targets for the sustainable development
3. The declaration of principles regarding the Forest protection
4. The creation of CSD (Commission on Sustainable Development) as to control progress
5. Signature of international conventions for the protection of Biodiversity
6. Negotiations starting point against the desertification
7. The UNFCCC framework convention]

50.000 demonstrators rally in Rio de Janeiro protesting about the way Environment is handled

U2 rock concert in Sheffield against the new Nuclear plant in Thorpe

World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity’ is a document signed by 1700 leading scientists

1993

Tanker drifted aground on the southern tip of Shetland Islands spilling 85.000 t of oil 

Soviet Nuclear Tests (1949 – 1963) in Kazakhstan exposed 1.5 million people to illness or death

UN reports on rivers in the Urals contaminated with radioactive waste 

(Greece) – Greece fails to comply with EEC environmental regulations (Case C-387/97)

WW1 munitions and chemical weapons found by a construction crew in Spring Valley – Washington

1994

Broken Russian pipeline releases 21000 cubic meters of petroleum products in the Arctic

A broaken russian pipeline releases 21000 cubic meters of petroleum products in the Artctic

 

Greece) – Ratification of the UN Framework Convention for the Climate Change (UNFCCC) with the law ν.2205/1994 (Α’60) and ratification of the International Convention for the protection of Biological Diversity with the law ν. 2204/1994 (Α’59)

(Greece) – Special measures against the smog in Attica 

(Greece) – The Greek Council of State finds the approval of Acheloos river diversion against Constitution – failing an overall environmental risk assessment.

UN global conference at Barbados islands on the Sustainable development of Small Island developing States

 

1995

(Greece) – Fire burns forest land and houses in mount Penteli

French nuclear tests in the south pacific

WMO and WHO pinpoint that heat waves will get more frequent

WWF predicts that the Mediterranean basin and the Alps will face extreme weather conditions due to Climate Change

Munitions and work chemicals washed out in N. Ireland and the Isle of Man

Heat wave kills 500 in Chicago

COP1 in Berlin. Conference of the Parties in Berlin within the UNFCCC

1996

Oil spill disaster in Wales. Tanker spills with thousands of tons of crude oil the sea

Radioactive leaks from nuclear plant in Ukraine

Dolly, the first cloned sheep is born in Scotland. 

 

COP2 on the climatic change in Geneva (Switzerland)

Asbestos gets banned in France

 

1997

Southeast Asian haze from slash-and -burn practices in Indonesia 

CCD1 convention to combat desertification in Rome

(Greece)- Ratification of the International Convention to combat the Desertification with the Law ν.2468/1997 (Α’32)

 The Kioto climate change conference. Third session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 3) under the UNFCCC. The industrial countries that take part commit to reduce by 5,2% their 1990 base CO2 emissions. They are given the possibility to finance measures to bring other countries emissions down. An international "emissions trading" regime is conceived allowing industrialized countries to buy and sell emissions

Earth Summit II - New York City, assessing progress on Earth Summit I - Rio

1998

(Greece) – Heatwave and forest fires across the country.

 

COP4 – UN conference for the Climate Change in Buenos Aires 

The Rotterdam Convention on hazardous chemicals and dangerous waste imports / exports

1999

Salton Sea – California is not anymore a sustainable wetland for many species

Soil Salinization hits Australia

Vistula river in Poland is full of corrosive and toxic substances 

COP5 Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Bonn Germany

 

2000

(Greece) –ECJ imposes financial penalty for the dangerous waste in Chania

(Greece) – Fire burns forest area and houses in the island of Samos

Εcological disaster. Toxic waste from mining company pollute river Somes in Romania. The pollution has been transferred to the lake Tisza in Hungary and the Danube

COP6 The Hague. Session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties 

(Greece) – The Lakes of Prespes is announced a Balcanic Park by Greece, Albania and FDM.

(Greece) – Mount Parnitha becomes a Natura Protected Area 

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety gets drafted (with effect in 2003)

2001

Explosions in a fertilizers factory in Toulouse 

COP7 – Conference of the parties in Marrakech

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants 

Creation of the SPIRS Database

2002

Tanker sinking caused Great Oil spill disaster. 77.000 tons of crude oil spilled off Galicia

(Greece) – Waste management unit functions in Aspropyrgos 

Light pollution Law gets voted in Czechia

World Summit on Sustainable development in Johannesburg (Rio+10) promotes an action plan for water, energy, Agriculture, biodiversity, Health

Geologists propose to name the present geological period ‘Anthropocene ‘

COP8 – In New Delhi

2003

Deadly heat wave hits Europe 

Emerald ash borers (EAB) (Agrilus Planipennis) invade Russia and S.E. Europe

Arson in Iraqi sulfur plant pollutes the atmosphere

(Greece) – an amendment about the Waste Dumping Areas gets voted (ΧΥΤΑ) 

2004

Extinction of the White Gorilla 

Hurricane destroys oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. 3.3 million barrels polluting sea

(Greece) – Wind park in N.Greece

COP9 – (UNFCCC) In Milan

2005

(Greece) – Hunting of Fox and other mamals as been prohibited

Leaks from explosion in Chemical Factory in China. Benzene pollutes river Songhua

Two girls for each boy born in Sarnie – Ontario. NGOs talk about pollution

Malaysian Haze. Smoke from farmers scrub engulfs Kuala Lumpur

40.000 liters of caustic soda from derailed train kill 0,5 εκ. fishes at Cheakamus river Canada 
 

(Greece) – Fox hunting gets banned in Greece

COP10 in Buenos Aires within the UNFCCC

2006

Heards of African Elephants slaughtered near Chads' Wildlife Park
(from 300.000 in1970 only 500 remained in 2013)

More than 70 million sharks are killed each year for their fins 

Climate change ‘eats’ land in Nigeria (Gully erosion crisis)

Imported toxic waste dumped at 12 sites in Ivory Coast. 26.000 people treated for symptoms of poisoning

30.000 t of oil leak in the Mediterranean from Israeli bombing in Jiyeh

 (COP12) UN Climate Change Conference Nairobi – Kenya. 

Completion of the Three Gorges hydroelectric gravity Dam China 

2007

(Greece) – Heat wave across the whole Country

(Greece) – Fire at Parnitha burns almost the 1/3 of the National Forest.

We reach the hottest decade ever registered

Thousands of tons of toxic mud from industrial waste are gathered from the lake Okeechobee in Florida

 ‘Live Earth’ concert fights against climate change in various countries of the World

(Greece) – Protests in Athens about the Forests

Nobel prize to IPCC and Al Gore. The film ‘an inconvenient truth’ is projected across the World

United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali

Japan stops the hunting of the humpback wale 

2008

(Greece) – Big Fire destroys Forest big Forest area in the island of Rodos

Fireflies are threatened with extinction 

Dangerous waste and emissions from a coating factory in Guangxi - in China

Tennessee river polluted by waste 

Pollution tax in Milan

Earths’ time… Lights switched off for 1 hour

China bans little plastic bags

Aarhus convention: Τhe citizens’ environmental rights

2009

UN: Climate Change & overpopulation threaten Earths water reserves

The arctic glasses makes the icebreaker ships redundant 

Dead Sea Zones in Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico : Low concentration of O2 gradually empties the area from sea life

5th international Forum on Water in Istanbul 

Japan launches the first international CO2 watchdog satellite

‘Should we eat the animals?’ . Α book from Jonathan Safran 

G8 meeting in Aquila (Italy). Leaders agree with the idea of measures to keep temperature increase below the 2° C 

2010

(Greece) – Year starts with temperatures exceeding last 100 years records

Explosion of an Oil Platform. 780.000m3 of oil spill free in the Gulf of Mexico. Cement injections tap the crack

Leak of oil pipeline at the Delta of Niger. 1 Million gallons pollute sea

(Greece) – Fire destroys the Palm Forest in Rethimnon (Crete) 

Toxic mud leaks from Aluminum Factory in Hungary 

Leak from oil platform in the Red Sea ((Jebel al Zayt)

Oil pipelines crack in Xingang harbor in China. 60.000 t leak

Activists stop train transporting radioactive waste in Germany

(Greece) – Activists free Minks up in N. Greece

(Greece) – Fishes reappear in R. Kifissos 

UN: Results from Spray ban CFC show positive 

COP16 - UN Convention in Cancun: ‘green fund’ gets created reaching 100bn dollars

Joined declaration for the initiative against climate change in the Mediterranean Sea signed by Greece, Turkey, Palestine and Malta

Accord to protect big cats untill 2022

UN convention for the Biodiversity in Nagoya. Financial Support and expansion of protected areas on the agenda

2011

Tsounami hits Nuclear Powerstation in Fukushima. Radioactivity in huge quantities pollutes the environment

Life expectancy drops with air pollution – experts say

WMO rings alarms about high concentration of CO2 gases in the atmosphere (CO2,, Methane and nitrogen Monoxide)

Heavy metals and toxic waste leak from Oil Refinery in Bohai - China

 

 

(Greece) – Leipsoi island get ‘Green’ 

Italy bans the plastic bags

UN Durban Conference (South Africa). 190 states agree with the principle to reduce the levels of CO2 gases and the average temperature
 

 

 

2012

Oceans’ temperature raises since 135 years ago. Levels of the sea will follow according with scientific research

Diesel exhaust gas can cause cancer W.H.O. says

Global Witness expects that natural resources or environmental disputes will raise

World Bank forecasts temperature increase of 4 degrees C on average

(Greece) - Attica’s atmosphere with high pollution levels 

Leaks of industrial waste containing cadmium in the Longjiang river in China

Vicente Typhoon hits Hong Kong. Containers with Polypropylene pellets pollute the Sea

Japan shuts down its nuclear reactors

UN of the 5th Convention for Earths’ climate Change in Rio de Janeiro. Results did not mach the expectations

UN Conference in Doha – in Qatar. (COP18) The Kyoto Protocol is extended to 2020 but only 37 states have shown commitment

Greece)- Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the Greek Parliament - ν.3017/2012 (Α’117)

2013

Lions herds decrease dramatically in number warns LIONAID

WMO records show that the period 2001–2010 was the hottest ever

(Greece) – Air pollution in Attica. Ministry call for not using Chimneys for heating

International Convention CITES. The commerce of rays and sharks

Mercury International Convention in Geneva 

UN conference in Warsaw. An indemnity mechanism for the developed countries against extreme weather phenomena is agreed, as well as a fund against deforestation

Ghana banns ‘charity’ imports from used or idle electric or electronic appliances

2014

(Greece) –Tropical invasive fish species in the Aegean Sea 

In 40 years half of the wild animal species have been lost according to WWF

N.Y. Courts have held that animals are not ‘persons’ entitled to rights and protections afforded by the writ of habeas corpus rejecting the NGO demand

Average temperature in 2014 exeeds all other since 1881

Rallies in thousands of towns in the World about the climate change

UN convention for the climate change in New York

EU commits to reduce the use of the plastic bag to ¼ of the actual use until 2025

Denmark covers more than its third of energy needs through wind 

 

2015

2015 has been the hottest year so far

Land corrosion and soil pollution have reduced by 1/3 the cultivable land in the last 40 years.
Our planet is already 1° C above the average temperature of the pre-industrialization period

UN Summit for the Sustainable Development in New York. New plan ‘Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. 17 SD goals & 169 targets

UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris (COP21) and Paris Agreement replacing Kioto’s Protocol.
The parties commit to limit their CO2 emissions at levels that can be absorbed by Nature. The target is to retain the temperature increased below 2°C (in fact 1,5°C).

2016

2/3 of Earths´ Population have water shortages for about 1 month per Year, Dutch experts say 

(Greece) – Big fire in N. Evia destroys Forest land

3.7 million People died worldwide in 2012 from either chronic or the acute effects of breathing atmospheric pollutants Word Bank reports (‘Clean air and Healthy Lungs’)

2016 The hottest year ever recorded so far

Toxic waste pollute the area of Baotou Town in China

The great Smog of Delhi covers the town

Euro parliament ratifies the Paris Agreement and commits to a 40% of CO2 reduction until 2030. 

Greece votes the Law ν.4426/2016 (Α’187) for the climate change

The Ozone layer shrinks above Antarctica – MIT reports

COP22 - UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech

2017

Climate Change brings extreme weather outbreaks reports EEA (European Environmental Agency)

US President Donald Trump announced US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

(Greece) – 2.650 t of cigarette butts add each year to the beaches pollution, reports MEDASSET

(Greece) – Oil spill 2.500 t pollutes the Saronic bay

The 39 trillion L water reservoir of the world’s largest hydropower project - 3 gorges dam in China – 22500 MW delaying the rotation of Earth by 0,06 microseconds due to the moment of inertia, scientists say

 

2018

‘Air pollution is the ‘new tobacco’, warns WHO head. 7 m early deaths each year from breathing toxic air & 91% of the world’s population live in areas with air pollution above WHO limits

In its manifesto, WWF says ‘We are the first generation to know we are destroying our planet and the last that can do anything about it. We owe it to those who will inherit our planet to ensure the actions we take account for their impact on future generations’

Global CO2 emissions reach the highest point so far

(Greece) – Drought will hit Southern Europe warns the Joined Research Committee of EC

Leaks C9 from an oil distillery in Fujian pollute the environment

Collision of ship with oil tanker off Shanghai carrying 136.000 t of gas. The place the ship sinks is a passage of migratory fish and whales

Today, a noise in the ocean sounds louder than in the past. This is due to the change of PH in the oceans caused by pollution and the climate change effect
 

 

(Greece) – Consumers will have to pay for Plastic bags

(Greece) – Greece marks a steady progression in the area of environmental implementation according to the annual report of the Commission (Environment Implementation Review)

 

2019

Entomologists warn that half of the insect population is threatened by extinction

The Amazon rain forest absorbs ¼ of the CO2 absorbed by all the land on Earth.
This amount is 30% less than in 1990 because of deforestation and cattle ranching

Period 2015-2019 has been the hottest 5 year period ever

Big fires burn Bolivian Forest. 2,3 million wild animals die

Fires in Amazon Forest

Fire burns Chemical factory in Rouen – France. Toxic substances pollute the Environment

 

Fridays for Future – student movement for the environment gains momentum, Greta Thunberg face of the Year for the climatic change in Time Magazine 

Climate Action Summit in New York

2020

WHO delegation visiting Wuhan in China where 44 people have been diagnosed with a new sort of pneumonia. The transmission is human to human.
Some months later the World lives a Pandemic with millions of deaths

Number of cancer patients increases

20°C in Antartica!

Corona virus: Thousands of people die in England and US. Pandemics' global death toll in 2020 : 3,3 million according to WHO

Deforestation gets intensive reports Global Forest Watch

Floods and soil erosions in Kyushu (Japan)

The population of migratory fishes has been decreased by 2/3 in the period 1970 - 2016 according to various NGOs

According to WWF, during the period 1970 – 2016, from all the vertebrates, only Human population raised. For the rest (birds, mammals, amphibians, snakes) their total population decreased by 68%

Disastrous tornado hits Fiji islands. Lots of people are forced to emigrate. Typhoons hit Honduras

Tanker runs aground and pollutes Mauritius Islands

Explosion of Depos containing Ammonium nitrate destroys Beirut and kills 218

Blast in a chemical factory in Tarragona

(Greece) – COVID19 decreases the level of noise and air pollution in Attica. Wild animals approach urban areas

The Court case of the Century for France: The highest Court (Conseil d’Etat) orders the government to implement urgent actions in line with the CO2 objectives agreed with the International agreements, the EU Law and the national Law

French Veto against commercial treaty between EU-MERCOSUR states due to a bad approach demonstrated by those states in relation to the Forest sustainability and biodiversity

The Chinese president Xi Jinping announces that China has a target to become Carbon newtral by 2060

The Prime Minister of Japan announces his country will go carbon neutral in 2050

ΕU put a target for 2030 to get 30 million ‘clean’ cars on the roads and to improve the train infrastructures for fast train circulation

2021

Extreme temperatures cause millions of premature deaths according to the statistics of Lancet Planetary Health

IPCC announces that the actual global temperature increase is higher than the one forecasted
Mediterranean countries: The Summer of 2021 is the hottest summer ever recorded 

The 4 basic indexes of the climatic change (CO2 emissions, Sea Levels, Global Temperature, Acidification of the Oceans) have exceeded the expected values in 2021, says WMO

COP26 - UN Climate Conference in Glasgow

COP26 - UN Climate Conference in Glasgow

European Commission approves the ‘Green Deal’ focusing on the reduction by 55% of the CO2 emissions by 2030 for all state members of the EU. 

(Greece) – Greece climbs further Up in the RECAI Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index

G20 Summit in Rome on Environment & Climate Change 

Leak from a gas depot pollutes soil and water in Honolulu

2022

Global Forest area per capita has decreased by more than 60% over the past 60 years reports IOP

Big forest fires & physical disasters are announced on a daily basis by the global media

The water level of the European rivers drops with everything that this implies

Russian Invasion of Ukraine has an global impact on the environment and the implementation of the green goals

(Greece) - Heavy rain falls and Floods in Siteia –Crete)

Activists try to get publics’ attention by dropping soup on famous paintings in National Galleries shouting 'Just Stop Oil'

Ecological disaster in river Oder due to drought

Sand mining from rivers and marine ecosystems has serious impacts on the future of the sustainability say biologists

Drought hinders Conifers to protect themselveds (trough resin) from Bark beetles
 

‘Fit for 55’: EU ministers agree new goals in relation to the environment and the Energy

‘Mediterranean Sea – Odyssey for Life´ from Frederic Fougea. A Film Documentary focusing on the environmental challenges that threaten the Mediterranean Sea

French Prime minister announces that France would become a ‘green state’

Εco trials: 14 persons from the consultative committee about Asbestos in France are sent to Justice for their involvement in Eco – crimes with human casualties

COP27 – UN Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Sharm el-Sheikh (6-18Nov2022)
We will be following
UN unfccc.int webside https://bit.ly/IPCCatC27
IPCC webcast https://bit.ly/WLSCop27
IMF analysis on emission targets https://bit.ly/3T9IWGv
#IPCC #ClimateReport #COP27 #Science4ClimateAction

View more

Bibliography
Bibliography

Sources (indicatively):

Portals: UN, IPCC, UNEP, WMO, UNESCO, EU commission, JRC, Greenpeace, One Earth

Books &Press: The sustainable state (in Greek language) -Ed.ΕΕΔΠ-2022, Environmental Protection and Economic Liberty (in Greek language) - Ed.Sakkoulas - 2002, Economics and Policies for the the sustainable management of the Environment and the natural resources (in Greek language) -E.Kula & Angelos Protopapas – Ed.Sakkoulas - 2005, SanSimera (news portal), Le Monde, Le Monde Diplomatique, Nature

Content selection, copy, editing: R.Briche


 

Some ideas to bring environmental action further up...!

1. In the building
- Introduction of a waste selection and recycling system
- Replacement of high energy consuming appliances and light bulbs
- Swap to renewable enery supply
- Install time switches or sensors to reduce consumption
- Put water taps functioning with hand pressions in the WC
areas
- ...

2. Outside the building
- Building insulation and use of natural light  
- Roof Garden 
- Ground pollution testing 
- Collection of rain water
- ...

3. Outdoors
- Beach cleaning day (May  - October)
- Tree planting activity
- Tree planting program connected with Sales  
-...

4. Within the production process
- Revision of recycling opportunities
- Smart packaging - reduction of plastics
- Biological cleaning and water recycling
-...

5. Transportation and time scheludes
- Employee car sharing program
- Parking for two weeled vehicles 
- Teleworking  / On-site work program
- Green Company Fleet 
- Decentralized offices with teleconferencing facilities
- Working time schedule adaptation to the light and season
- Use of train for product transfer
-...

6. Cafeteria 
- Replacement of plastic dishes, cups or water bottles with glass made ones.
- Personal water bottle for all employees
- Drinking water dispensing machines with filters. Frequent microbiological water testing by certified laboratory or authority
- Healthy and sustainable Menu at Canteen
- Green suppliers 
-...

7. Pollution
- Systematic reporting on recycling activity at corporate and site level
- No smoking policy and subsidized program of addictions
- Customer infomation about recycling
- Dangerous Goods Management Certification
-...

8. Management and Strategy
- Formulation of the Company Environmental Vision, strategy and CO2 footprint
- Introduction of departmental environmental goals
- Sustainability Reporting 
- Environmental awards 
- Environmental training (including customers and suppliers) 
-... 

Be our guest
Be our guest

Working in a digital world:
New challenges & new opportunities

Vassilis Tsetsos
Managing Director of Mobics S.A.

COVID19 pandemic resulted, among other things, to a high increase in remote work and faster digital transformation at governmental and enterprise level. There seems to exist a strong dependency and potentially correlation between these two trends that is already affecting (and will surely continue to do so) the working environment and work habits. In this short article we will try to identify various “symptoms” of this evolution in work as well as some topics that will need the attention of both employers and employees/workers. [My experience is from the ICT domain and more specifically from small software houses (20-50 staff), but I guess that my perceptions touch other domains, too.]

First of all, digital transformation and digital work tools enable remote work for more and more professions. The industry is now in the phase of exploring and improving tools that help remote workers be as productive as on-site ones. However, in the next years we expect advances in tools that will try to monitor and assess the actual productivity, degree of collaboration, degree of focus etc. even though, such tools are useful for companies, special attention should be paid so that such tools do not “penetrate” the personal spaces of users.

The stereotype of a “digital nomad” is already well-established and possibly an ideal career life-style for many. However, such approaches will eventually lead to a shift from employees to freelancers. Even though this may be well accepted and beneficial for some professions (e.g. software developers), it might also lead the companies to imbalances. Loyalty to the firm and adoption of its principles is challenged, which is surely a concern for smaller companies. The fact that workers working from their place do or can share their time to 2 or more employers is also a case that needs special experience to handle so that productivity and ethical work principles are assured (for both employers and workers).

Another important topic is the new digital skills and competencies required by new workers, especially when occupied in a remote or hybrid position. Such skills go far beyond the core skills for their job, extending to collaboration, security, productivity, networking applications and techniques, to name a few. The cultivation of such skills until now is mostly left to personal initiative, however both governments and companies understand that they also have a role to play there. Such skills, together with the new trend of micro-credentials will play a key role in the working environment and also to vocational training in the next few years.

Vassilis Tsetsos (PhD), is a researcher and ITconsultant, Managing Director of MOBICS S.A. and Museotek S.A. and co-founder of Codefactory.

HR Excellence
HR Excellence

Employees' ‘Work Digital Card’ 

10 questions and answers about the employee ´Work Digital Card´ (WDC) 

1.What changes in relation to the Digital Work Schedule?
From November 1st until November 30th all employees from every business have to be registered digitally excluding the possibility to attach any form of additional files (excel, word etc) 

2.How will occur the work schedule notification to the ERGANI system? 
The notification will be in a 100% digital form by the payroll administrator who has to create from scratch a digital work schedule and submit it to ERGANI excluding the possibility to attach any form of additional files (excel, word etc) 

3.How and when will Annual Leave and Absences have to be submitted to ERGANI central IT system?
The employer has the obligation to submit the records of employee leave – absence – sickness absences to ERGANI system within the first 10 days of the following month

4.How will Digital Work Schedule impact the employees’ pay? 
The connection between Work Schedule and Actual Work will be ‘real time’. 
This will facilitate the control based on a list of predefined checks 

5.What is the Work Digital Cart (WDC)?
The WDC provides information in relation to the work schedule, overtime, over-hours, shifts, pauses, days off and employee leave. The above will get submitted digitally and all time accessible to employees, employers and authorities

6.How does the card punch work and how ERGANI will register this information?
ΗThe card punch will be done by the employee himself and will registered by ERGANI system ‘real time’ giving feedback to both employee and employer

7.What are the different options for the employee to punch the WDC?
Throughout any electronic presence recording system.
Π.χ. Attendance Clock, Employee Self Service, Epsilon HR Card Scanner

8.What changes in relation to process of attendance card punching in the past?
The WDC user must ensure that he/she possesses appropriate documentation and prove in case of non existing punches (during the entrance or exit) . 
Any type of deviation (small or big) from the submitted time schedule must be checked and documented

9.What happens with the overhours – overtime?
 They must be registered through the card. Sanctions will be applied in case of omission during controls

10.How does the card punch reconciles with the payroll at the end of each month?
The payroll calculation must be aligned with the hits. Any type of diversion (small or big) from the submitted work schedule must be checked and documented

EpsilonHR
Live Up
Live Up

The balancing act of being authentic

John Ioannou
Being authentic is considered an important and valuable leadership attribute. Typically, we think of being authentic as being genuine, sincere, and true to ourselves – as simple as that! In reality, however, being authentic is not that simple.

Is it good to always be authentic? The simple answer is Yes! From my experience though in business as well as in my recent capacity as an executive coach, I struggled to convince myself that it is effective to always be authentic. This struggle has raised several questions for me:

  • How authentic should I be as a leader or as a coach for that matter?
  • How much of my true self, my feelings, my beliefs and values do I share and when?
  • How do I balance how authentic should I be in each and every situation?

I would presume that many of us are faced with this authenticity dilemma. In the very early stages of our lives, parents, educators, and mentors advise us to be honest, be who we are, be true to ourselves... be authentic. Many times however we find ourselves having to adapt and flex our style to be effective and successful. This to me implies that we need to adjust / modify our actions and in many cases our mindset to fit into the ‘system’.

Authenticity is very relevant to how we manage our careers, especially as we move up the career ladder. As different roles have different demands, challenges, expectations, and pressures, we usually feel that our authenticity is tested. Saying too much or too little about what we think early on, could have negative consequences.

First impressions form quickly and we may lose our effectiveness and authority as leaders if we disclose everything we believe/feel when we are new to a role and our credibility is unproven.

Thus, we tend to hold back, which may result in feeling inconsistent, perhaps even insincere, and that our true self is compromised.

However, I would argue that this unpleasant feeling is temporary and is created every time we get out of our comfort zone and we’re on our way into the growth/development zones. We need to strike a balance!

So how do we manage this delicate balance? How do we change our leadership identity every time we move on to bigger and better things while preserving our authenticity? Drawing from my experiences and my recent career change, here are four general principles/habits I recommend following:

authentic

Increase your self-awareness and admit your ignorance

Challenge yourself by taking on new projects. At the same time, be open minded and culturally sensitive. Be aware of your strengths, your emotions, and your limitations. This self-awareness will regulate your responses/behavior. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake”. Authenticity is about acknowledging and accepting your weaknesses and shortcomings with courage and continuing to learn and improve.

Surround yourself with a diverse group of people

Be unbiased, respect and accept diversity and opposing views. Build a diverse team, develop honest relationships, and promote openness. Authenticity is about accepting different viewpoints, welcoming disagreements, and facilitating genuine and constructive debate.

Do not compromise your value system and beliefs

Ground those principles in your daily life and make sure your reactions/practices reflect them. Authenticity is about finding ways to demonstrate your personal traits and values consistently through your words and actions. The stronger your values are, the easier it will be to express them.

And always stay faithful to your true North, your purpose in life

People who have clarity about their life/leadership purpose bring their whole selves to their jobs and participate fully and honestly in the workplace. There is nothing more real and authentic than knowing, living, and serving your unique purpose in life.

While applying these four principles in this ever changing and tumultuous world, take time-outs and reflect on your journey and consider your relationships/friendships. It is worth noting that the relationships you formed early in your life are usually based on innocence, unconditional care and honesty and will provide you with strong guardrails to preserve your authenticity and help you to never forget your roots. So, safeguard and protect them.

Being authentic and showing our true selves usually means making ourselves vulnerable. And vulnerability takes courage, it is risky, and may have negative consequences. The reward is that you lead an honest life and an honorable career, and you are accepted for who you are.

I have come to recognize and accept that there is a constant balancing act between remaining genuine, sincere and true to ourselves, and the need to adjust to different situations to be effective, as well as, to evolve as leaders/ coaches in order to become the best possible versions of ourselves. As we consciously navigate this ongoing dilemma to strike the right balance, we continue to grow, develop, and refine our leadership and coaching skills and increase our confidence and success in helping others without losing our authenticity.

Upcoming
Upcoming

News from Brussels

By Pavlos Avramopoulos

Council approves EU law to improve gender balance on company boards

The directive, which will have to be transposed into national law by the states members, lays down that at least 40% of non-executive director positions in listed companies should be held by members of the underrepresented sex by 2026. If member states choose to apply the new rules to both executive and non-executive directors, then the target would be 33% of all director positions by 2026.

The core of the directive stipulates that listed companies that would not achieve the objectives wouldl need to adjust their selection process. They have to put in place fair and transparent selection and appointment procedures, based on a comparative assessment of the different candidates on the basis of clear and neutrally formulated criteria. When companies have to choose between equally qualified candidates, they should give priority to the candidate of the underrepresented sex.

Once a year, companies must provide information about the gender representation on their boards and the planned measures as to achieve the 33% or 40% objective. Member states will publish a list of the companies that have achieved the directive’s objectives on an annual basis.

Source: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/10/17/council-approves-eu-law-to-improve-gender-balance-on-company-boards/

HR Pulse
HR Pulse

Embarrassing situation in the printing room…

(… it is not what you think…)

'Confidential / For internal use only …' have been the words marked in bold red ink that attracted me most when I opened the door of the printing room... To whom could they belong…?
Sales or marketing – I thought first – had their own printing room in their own floor... they didn’t have  any electricity shut down today so that they would come here … therefore it must be either a document from Purchasing, Internal Audit, Legal Department or HR… 

I get a look at my watch – 6.30 in the afternoon, the derby is at 21.00 – and it will not be broadcasted... therefore Purchasing and Internal Audit are excluded since they all have got tickets for the entire season for their beloved teams… Tomorrow we will see who the winner is from the way those colleagues will behave ordering their coffee… Usually, the heads of the department order for their people when their own team wins… When not, they ‘disappear’ behind their screens and spreadsheets and give a sign that they are alive only when the aroma of the ‘black without’ ordered by the Manager of the opposite team from the nearest coffee shop intrudes the heavy atmosphere…
Legal department wouldn’t  definitely be in that list of suspects - they have been on a business trip to Thessalonica for a legal issue with a dealer…

So it must be HR… aha … and it is the period where they play with scenarios on salary increases…! 
You would agree with me that it is quite legitimate to succumb to the temptation to let my curiosity discover in which percentile I stand in relation to others … I don’t blame myself, I am pleased with the company, my earnings and the way they treat me, … but... but... there is this but... especially when I do my very best... . I couldn’t say the same about the others or at least about some of them... and yes, it would make me feel angry if I would realize that they earn better money than me  being much better … as everybody says.

But, one minute... Wouldn’t it be unfair to do so, right now, to give myself a challenge after 30 years of blind respect to the ‘looking at my own job’ principle?

On the other hand, isn’t it time to see in praxis whether this 'divine' sense of Justice lives in our company and whether all those values communicated by HR every since and then  through savvy worlds - like 'contribution-retribution', 'fairness', 'equity', 'pay for performance' - are truly written on the stone and not in the sand?
After all, at the end of the day …it is not my fault that they left their document unattended … (Even if they catch me on the act I could always say that I wanted to see who the negligent recipients are as to bring the paper to them… or not?)

One of my hands has been tasked to ‘uncover’ the truth when suddenly a voice broke the silence...
-    Oh Apologies… this is the paper I was looking for... said a relaxed young man joining me in the printing room...
-    Are you a new colleague?... I asked...
-    Yes.. No... Not exactly... I am the new intern... It’s my first day here and I am printing the list of the company cars...
-    Aha... Company Cars eih..., I replied…  Are they going to switch into e-mobility… ?
-    I don’t know… I guess you would find out... the one or the other way, wouldn’t you ?
-    Ehhh … (What is this boy telling me now - I thought...)
-    Delighted, I am Peter…
-    Delighted Peter, George…
-    Nice to meet you…

(My Goodness - I thought… It’s so easy to get things wrong… could have been a Director catching me in the act… )

-    Hi George… (a familiar voice came to my ears)
-    Ohh Hi Mr. General Manager…
-    May I introduce you to Peter, my son, he is doing his internship with us…
-    Yes… We just met …
-    Could you do me a favor? I need a trusted colleague, like you... to teach this young man the Code of Ethics of the Company … and how not to leave confidential documents exposed to the common view… Would you be ok with that…?
-    No problem… at all… I replied... It’s my strong point... I mean... ethics
-    Peter was winking at me… 

What would you do in Georges’ situation?

(the answers to the next issue)