THE NEWS WRAP: Food and travel sales up for SMEs, but other sectors lagging: Report

Small businesses operating in the food and travel sectors are enjoying stronger sales, while those selling appliances, clothing and homewares have suffered a recent dip, according to a new report.

 

The ANZ Small Business Sales Trends report for October shows that overall sales grew by 3.6% in the quarter, although growth is patchy, with resource-rich states Western Australia and the Northern Territory performing best.

 

Businesses set for new CEO pay laws

 

The Federal Government is set to unveil new regulations that would force company CEOs to disclose exactly how much take-home pay they receive.

 

The legislation will also require boards to put measures in place that will recover bonuses from executives should financial accounts be misstated.

 

However, according to The Australian Financial Review, some businesses are concerned over the move, claiming that it will place an even greater burden on boards.

 

Employers urged to protect women

 

Businesses need to do more to help female workers who are victims of domestic violence, according to the Sex Discrimination Commissioner.

 

Elizabeth Broderick said that 800,000 women suffer violence at home, saying that employers need to do more to support them, such as offering time off or a place to store possessions.

 

Markets

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 172.79 points, or 1.35%, to 13,009.68 on Friday. The Australian dollar was up to US104.57 cents.

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