Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability Report for Retail Food Group

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the governance, ethics, and sustainability practices of Retail Food Group (RFG), a major retail company in Australia. It examines RFG's adherence to regulatory compliances, including the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) principles and ethical values. The report delves into critical issues such as discrimination, exploitation, and corruption, detailing the company's policies and measures to address these challenges. It highlights RFG's commitment to providing a fair and safe working environment, including whistle-blower protections and the role of the Ethics Committee. The analysis covers the company's code of conduct, enforcement mechanisms, and the importance of ethical behavior for maintaining its reputation and stakeholder relations. The report also explores the company's efforts to prevent dishonest and fraudulent behavior, ensuring that the company operates with integrity and transparency.

Running Head: RETAIL FOOD GROUP 0
Governance, Ethics and Sustainability
RFG
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Contents
Retail Food Group (RFG)..........................................................................................................2
Overview................................................................................................................................2
Scope......................................................................................................................................2
Regulatory Compliances............................................................................................................2
Discrimination........................................................................................................................3
Exploitation............................................................................................................................3
Corruption..............................................................................................................................4
Dishonest and Fraudulent Behaviour.....................................................................................5
Whistle-blower Protections....................................................................................................5
Enforcement...........................................................................................................................6
Ethics Committee.......................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Retail Food Group (RFG)
Overview
RFG is an authorization holder retail company in Queensland, Australia of food and liquid
refreshment universally. The company is a developing leader in the foodservice, bakery
segments overseas and dairy handling as it sells a roaster and high-quality coffee products.
RFG strategic growth drivers are the company’s authorization, overseas and profit-making.
The company is working with 15,000 employees and 2,400 stores in Australia and
universally for expansion of the business (Retail Food Group, 2018). RFG promotes the best
working environment to nurture the workplace with its best practice and to show employees
the highest standards of behaviour and manner including honesty, reliability, and
responsibility, acknowledging services concerned with the environment, and performing
duties with alertness and care (Chung, 2019).
Scope
The code act according to the requirements and essence it involves, to report gaps and not to
assist behaviour which can lead to a breach. RFG executed the policies of the Orientation
Guide, a Workplace Participant’s agreement for an individual’s work service and the law
with combining code operations relating to a minimum standard of behaviour and manner.
The law overcomes when any conflict arises between the law and the Code. The laws and
culture may differ in countries other than Australia in business (Code of Conduct, 2018).
Regulatory Compliances
The Code involves the policies in the agreements governed and executed by the Australian
Government with ethical values. The strategies based on the daily actions include acting
honestly with best interests, maintaining the professionalism at the workplace, obeying the
law, taking responsibility, and treat public and customers with respect are important to this
Code which shows the actions and for this RFG uses functional government structure to be
followed with this Code. To achieve and establish the high standards of corporate
governance; RFG, the Board of Directors and the top-level management shows devotion. The
Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) principles were approved by the Board which needs to
be followed by the company under the law as mentioned in the agreement (Diversity Policy,
2018). Supervisors and government are the main stakeholders of the company which expects
high-level or responsibility and accountability where the customers are also one of them. This

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Code is discussed with every supervisor for reviewing and monitoring the agreement to
develop the company’s transparency of operations and the report on time document
requirements and to control the management.
Discrimination
The unfair treatment given to any employee or member in the company differentiated on the
basis of age, gender, sex, religion, disability and nationality which is illegal at the workplace
is known as discrimination (Cotter, 2016). In law, the breach of contract is counted when the
employees are treated differently because of their appearances. Some employees ignore the
regulations for their own benefit through another employee or member which is done due to
the creation of biasness between individuals based on their appearances. The employees can
raise their voice against such unethical behaviour of discrimination and file a complaint
against the one under the Equality Act, 2010 which came in the law to protect the individuals
based on their appearances (Husu, 2010). The company never supported this unethical
behaviour. RFG made rules to ignore the problem and strictly ordered the top-level
management and superiors to behave with the employees fairly without any discrimination.
The free and fair work environment is provided to the employees by RFG; the company
executed some practices to avoid this problem in the company of discrimination.
Job availability and non-discrimination at the workplace practice, promotion of employees on
the basis of their talent and not personal appearances, provide equal opportunities, and
execution of anti-discrimination law applicability to support other practices for all the
members (Emens, 2017). This Code states that if any unlawful activities they face in the
company, the employees and any stakeholders can report under this policy of anti-
discrimination. If not comfortable to report to the anti-discrimination company, they can
report to the superior authorities as well.
Exploitation
In today’s generation, making women their main target at the workplace by mistreating them
and other employees as well which is being varied is named as exploitation. When any
individual thinks for their personal benefits and disregards the company’s safeguards of other
employees is mistreatment and illegal. The employees are forced to perform in work that
leads to loss of welfare and noted as unethical (Rucker, 2017). It is significant to know the
needs, contributions, and rights to secure the payables and job of individuals as it is in the
respect of the company when any employee is exploited at the workplace. It is important to

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know the legal rights where it will not be possible to make employees overwork which is a
part of exploitation; includes appearances exploitation, to behave unfairly and not paying
them full for their work is an extreme issue of this practice. The stakeholders; includes
customers, employees, government and top-level management are valued by RFG where they
expect to be treated fairly and ethically. The employees value their efforts and time where
other members take advantage of, for their own profits unfairly to meet the company’s goal
(Chelliah, 2016). This practice of exploitation in the business need to be avoided where
company guides them not to make employees work for longer hours as per mentioned in the
agreement, make them work on public holidays, including the interest of the stakeholders to
provide profit at the workplace, and make them wait without any valid reason for salary.
The superior authorities are responsible to perform fair practices in the company to take care
of the interest of the stakeholders when the decision is made by fulfilling the duties of their
roles. RFG gives the freedom to employees to file a report against any unfair practice for
providing a safe working environment and to satisfy the performance of stakeholders.
Corruption
The members of the company using the power of their position unethically for personal
benefits and are involved in false activities are named as corruption; which also impacts the
company’s profits and performance. Individuals take the wrong advantage of others and
cause harm to those who do not listen to them. Corruption affects the performance of
employees and the business of the company which holds the major problem for other
employees who are not involved in unfair practices, and to avoid this, it is important to
reduce the effect and identify risks to be secured, for this; there is a need of taking corrective
action and measures (Khadem, 2019). It is necessary to have information and knowledge with
employees about the activities related to corruption in the company which includes awareness
about future unfair problems and taking steps to prevent it, qualification and skills to keep
regular checks on the business operations and values of other employees to implement the
process. It is important to have the capability to destroy corruption and to play essential roles
confidently for further growth and development (Nica, et al., 2016). The anti-fraud policy
was made by RFG to work on unethical conduct for saving the image of the company from
corruption and this policy helps in reducing the impact of corrupted practices (Tickner,
2017). The anti-corruption policy was applied by RFG to let employees of the company raise
a voice against any unfair practices and can file a complaint within the law which shows that

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the management of RFG wants to act in a way for keeping better interest for the expansion of
the company.
Dishonest and Fraudulent Behaviour
The use of confidential information, misusing false documents, property, identity, and money
related problems are created through dishonest and false conduct; these problems can result
in loss, morale degradation and lack of productivity. The unfair practices are done by the
employees who get low-paid salaries and are working for long-hours than mentioned in the
agreement of employment at the workplace. The employees have the right to report the
problem and take disciplinary and immediate action against such dishonest and false
activities to superior authorities (Leavitt & Sluss, 2017). The expectation of RFG from every
stakeholder is to work in business fairly and honestly for maintaining the reputation of the
company. It is essential to guide employees for acting in an ethical manner and development
of their ethical values within the company’s training structure. The stakeholders are the main
concern of RFG where they have the power to make a decision regarding any dishonest or
false practices by members or employees and report to the authorities on behalf of the
company.
Whistle-blower Protections
Whistle-blowers are members or employees within the company who report for unfair and
illegal activities when the trust is broken of any member or employee at the workplace. The
whistle-blowers are needed to be protected within the law and motivate others to speak for
unfair and illegal practices in the future. The security they need is regarding confidentiality
and against revenge. The legal rights by the law are given to them to protect themselves and
can sue any individual for leaking their identity at the time of investigation (Zhang, et al.,
2016). The prevention of members reacting against employees reporting threats is done under
the Whistle-blower Act; RFG also applied the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act)
to provide safety to the individual dealing with unfair activities at the workplace. The act is
applied for governing safety issues and provides power to employees to raise their voice
against the problems related to security at the workplace (Lewis, 2015). The policy of
whistle-blower depicts their intolerance regarding unfair practices at the workplace which
covers the structure made by RFG to report the problem safely for employees, to investigate
fairly and justify the nature according to the principles, and RFG make sure to protect them
after the disclosure of any unfair activity and reporting the outcome of the employees or

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members of the company. If not, the company can also report to superior authorities of the
company about any unethical or illegal activity.
Enforcement
It is important for every member of the company to act according to this Code which is
compulsory and not optional to be followed. As noticed, there is a breach in any case; the
company is responsible to explain to the ethics committee about such breach (Tompa, et al.,
2016). The maximum number of breaches allowed is two times only in this Code which need
not be serious in nature. The decision of the board to subject the seriousness of activity in
final where the company can also impose fines and penalties in case of breaking any
guidelines or policies as concerned in this Code (Cuganesan, et al., 2017).
Ethics Committee
The ethics committee develops this Code for the company where the members, employees,
and whistle-blowers can easily raise the voice against the issue of any unfair activities which
cannot be tolerated and if not comfortable, they can also report to the superior authorities to
take corrective actions (Iphofen & Tolich, 2018). The committee keeps on making
improvements to handle major problems in this Code of the company which is an essential
part of conduct.
References

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Chelliah, J., 2016. Labour exploitation. Human Resource Management International Digest,
24(3), pp. 4-6.
Chung, F., 2019. ‘Can’t change the past’: Retail Food Group boss on how he plans to save
the scandal-plagued franchisor. [Online]
Available at: https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/cant-change-the-past-retail-
food-group-boss-on-how-he-plans-to-save-the-scandalplagued-franchisor/news-story/
0c1b7f2bd56e7fe619654f78b9bae577
[Accessed 21 August 2019].
Code of Conduct, 2018. RFG. [Online]
Available at: https://www.rfg.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CodeofConduct.pdf
[Accessed 2019].
Cotter, A.-M. M., 2016. Class Act An International Legal Perspective on Class
Discrimination. 1st ed. London: Routledge.
Cuganesan, S., Steele, C. & Hart, A., 2017. How senior management and workplace norms
influence information security attitudes and self-efficacy. Journal Behaviour & Information
Technology, 37(1), pp. 50-65.
Diversity Policy, 2018. RFG. [Online]
Available at: https://www.rfg.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/DiversityPolicy.pdf
[Accessed August 2019].
Emens, E., 2017. Disability and Equality Law. 1st ed. London: Routledge.
Husu, L., 2010. Gender Discrimination in the Promised Land of Gender Equality. Journal
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Iphofen, R. & Tolich, M., 2018. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research Ethics.
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Khadem, N., 2019. Retail Food Group hoses down concerns it is in financial strife, but
regulators could start circling. [Online]
Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-15/rfg-hoses-down-concerns-it-is-in-
financial-strife/10902194
[Accessed 21 August 2019].

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Leavitt, K. & Sluss, D. M., 2017. Workplace Dishonesty and Deception as Socially Situated
Organizational Behavior. [Online]
Available at:
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Nica, E., Hurjui, I. & Stefan, I. G., 2016. The relevance of the organizational environment in
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Tickner, P., 2017. Fraud and Corruption in Public Services. 1st ed. London: Routledge.
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