Choose to challenge

Today on International Women’s Day 2021, I want to thank and celebrate the contribution and achievements of the women working at GJK Facility Services.

The theme this year is “Choose to Challenge,” a rallying cry to remember to do our part to take action for gender equality. Women are the backbone of our business and indeed our industry, with commercial cleaning alone employing more than 150,000 people Australia-wide, and the majority of them are women.

As business leaders, we all have a role to play in raising awareness against bias, and actively seeking equality Supporting women should never be relegated to just one day in a year, but today is a great day to raise those conversations, and to honestly reflect on how we can better support women in all areas of our lives.

Environmental stewardship

The Facilities Management environment is in a period of significant transition, brought on not least by the challenges of COVID-19, and certainly exacerbated by ever-evolving technology, urbanisation, and infrastructure development.

But perhaps one of the biggest and most important changes in our sector in recent years is a growing awareness that we need to be better stewards of this planet. After all, the property and construction sectors, alone, are responsible 40 percent of total energy consumption, 40 percent of C02 emissions, and 40 percent of waste generated.

In a recent panel-presentation at the TEFMA Directors Forum, GJK Facility Services Director of Strategic Relationships, Kristiana Greenwood, told delegates that facility managers would need to introduce a “circular economy” approach to environmental stewardship practises. A circular economy, in this context, is based on the principles of designing-out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

To reduce the consumption of resources and the impact on the climate, Kristiana and her fellow panelists (Professor Stephen Parker, Global Lead of Education and Skills at KPMG International; and Professor Stuart McCutcheon, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland) said we needed not only to reduce energy consumption within buildings, but also to transfer this energy demand to renewable energy resources, such as wind or solar energy.

“Facility managers are going to have to reconsider their procurement strategies in the future to facilitate the circular economy model.” Kristiana said.

Children's gallery: safe work

Here in Australia, October every year is known as “National Safe Work Month,” a campaign hosted by Safe Work Australia to raise awareness of workplace health and safety.

Last year close to 180 people died while doing their jobs, and approximately 107,000 people made workers’ compensation claims. Safe Work Australia makes the point that it’s not only the workers themselves who are impacted by work-related injuries and illnesses. The ramifications are felt by individuals, their families and the broader community.

Since the entire family can be impacted by a workplace injury or illness, at GJK Facility Services we like to involve the whole family in the National Safe Work Month activities by focusing on something a lot more positive: art. Each year during this month, we host a drawing and colouring-in competition for our employees’ children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. The winning drawings are then used to illustrate our Safety Calendar.

The artworks the children submitted this year were vibrant, intelligent, thoughtful and a joy to behold. What a talented bunch!

R U OK? A caring workplace

We were privileged to have Priscilla Lund, a workplace mindset and behavioural health consultant, visit the workplace at GJK Facility Services this month to help us learn more about the ways in which workplaces can create strains on employees’ mental health, alongside ways in which we can recognise signs of struggle in our colleagues, and provide both personal support and facilitate a more supportive environment.

Priscila’s visit was prompted by R U OK Day, but of course these are important conversations to have every day. Ensuring that the workplace is a safe place, where conversations around mental health are as normalised as conversations around physical health, will help to promote a culture of caring and collaboration.

Priscilla told the group, “It is important for organisations to raise awareness around the importance of mental health and wellbeing by encouraging connectiveness, compassion, working as teams and creating collaborative environments so we can care for each other.”

The core message of her presentation was that “It’s OK not to be OK.” She continued, “We need to understand that it’s OK not to be OK. When this awareness comes into play and we are open to the conversation that we’re having a bad day and feeling a little down, kind of like having a headache, let’s look after it and treat it as we would a physical ailment.”

More of Priscilla’s presentation has been shared on the GJK Facility Services blog.

ALEC talks us through how to ask R U OK? at Work. Learn more at www.ruok.org.au/workThis resource was developed with the support of the QBE Foundation.

2020 Indigenous Scholarship

I believe it is extraordinarily important for businesses in Australia to give back to the communities in which we work. We have a responsibility to help change lives, and this is a belief that resonates with everyone at GJK Facility Services.

Today I’m very proud to announce the opening of the 2020 Indigenous Scholarship, in partnership with UNE Partnerships, GJK Facility Services, and GJK Indigenous Solutions.

The purpose of this scholarship is to help redress the systemic disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, by providing two recipients with opportunities to further their careers by studying a Diploma of Facilities Management. The scholarships are open to members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage who work in the facilities management industry, with two full scholarships awarded to the highest-ranked applicants.

Protecting our people

As lockdown regulations ease and more Australians are beginning to return to work and school, the team at GJK Facility Services has created this short video, outlining the five things that employers can do to protect themselves and their teams as they return to the workplace.

It’s straightforward, simple, and easy to follow, so I’ve shared it here for anyone seeking clarity on this challenge.

We will remember them

While it’s certainly true that Anzac Day is looking vastly different to any we have ever experienced, the respect and gratitude we owe the men and women who have served our nation is unwavering. Today we honour and remember those Australians who have served, both past and present.

Earth Day every day

As the world reels from the spread and impact of COVID-19, one of the few silver linings has been the temporary relief that the “stay at home” message has had on our environment. From ducks in the Trevi Fountain to pollution-free skies over Los Angeles, our planet is demonstrating just how healing a small respite can be.

Here in Australia, from our living rooms and balconies and back yards, lockdown is an invitation to reconnect with the simple things we might have been taking for granted, and re-learning what brings us the most joy. And for many of us, that joy comes from access to nature: to blue skies, clean air, shady trees and the feel of grass under bare feet. It’s no surprise that during the. recent weeks and months, the limited time we have been able to spend outside has become ever-more precious to us Aussies. We prefer to be, after all, “young and free.”

Today we celebrate Earth Day and, even though we may be stuck at home, there are many choices each of us can still take to protect our planet, and help her hold on to some of the fragile gains she has made during these difficult days. What this looks like will be different for everyone, but whether this means campaigning, composting or changing the car air filter, every one of us has an opportunity to contribute to the health of our planet. There’s an excellent list of ways to make a positive impact on the Earth Day website, here.

Staying united

One of the most heartening things I have witnessed in recent days has been the ways in which Australians have risen to the challenges we are facing in these strange and unusual days, adapting with creativity, intelligence and good humour to circumstances none of us could have predicted.

Our team at GJK Facility Services recently started an initiative called #cupofcare, as a simple way to check in on one another, and to remain socially and emotionally connected despite the new isolation rules. On our Facebook page, they described the initiative this way:

“As we transition and adjust to business as not-so-usual, it’s important to not only focus on our physical health, but our mental wellbeing… Our initiative #cupocare allows us to practice what we preach, from teamwork zoom meetings to one-on-one face-timing with a cuppa in hand, catching up and having a chat about the things that matter the most.

“This is just one of many ways as a business, we can support each other and help us to stay united as a team.”

Harmony week

Happy World Harmony Week to you!

As COVID-19 continues to spread and Australia takes unprecedented measures of closing borders, grounding international travel and encouraging widespread social distancing, it is more important than ever that we take the time to notice, practise and celebrate kindness and respect.

At GJK, we believe that solidarity is our strength, and we strive to build a culture in which everyone feels they belong. The workplace should be a safe place that fosters respect and support, and it is my personal hope that the workplace, for our people, will feel like a second home.

I am enormously proud of the cultural diversity within our organisation, as well as in the wider network of our supply-chain and clients. Our staff members represent more than 45 countries and cultures, and yet we feel more like a family than a company.

It gives me great pleasure to celebrate the importance and value of diversity and harmony in our company - and within our nation - this week.

Stay safe & informed

During these unprecedented times, I urge everyone to stay informed and take all relevant measures to stay safe. The safety and wellbeing of our staff and clients is paramount to us at GJK Facility Services, and we are taking all necessary precautions to keep our people safe, including implementing the necessary controls advised by the Department of Health, to stop this virus spreading.

I also believe it is essential to create awareness and ensure we are all accurately informed. The Australian Government has advised the public on how to best prevent the spread of this disease, as well as quarantine and self-isolation guidelines, and what to do if you are presenting symptoms.

The Department of Health website is regularly updated, and can be viewed here: https://lnkd.in/ezSAsrc.

Our generous staff

I am immensely proud of the many staff members at GJK Facility Services who donate their time and money to support The Hunger Project, an international, non-profit organisation aimed at ending world hunger.

Our staff have been involved with The Hunger Project since 2015. In 2017 we pledged to raise money for the Bougue Epicentre and, since then, our people have raised more than $90,000 through simple but effective fundraising strategies, like raffles, lunches, and workplace giving.

The impact of their efforts is extraordinary: every $2 given can feed a family for month.

More information about The Hunger Project, their wonderful work and ways to give or get involved, can be found on the official Hunger Project website.

Bushfire donations

How wonderful to see the rain this week! Whilst this welcomed drenching is helping many fire ravaged and drought stricken communities, there are parts of both NSW and VIC that are still on fire or seen little to no rain.

I urge you to please not stop donating to any charity, cause or project that helps those impacted by this horrific crisis. It doesn't matter who you donate to as long as the efforts go to the right people or organisation.

If you don’t have a charity of choice, GJK Facility Services is hosting a GoFundMe page for the Australian Red Cross, and they will match any gift you make, dollar for dollar.

Bushfire support

My thoughts and prayers are with anyone who has been impacted by these absolutely devastating fires across our country. No words or actions can be begin to take away from the horror that has unfolded in serval states.

I would like to start by reaching out to our entire network and ask anyone who has been impacted or needs help in anyway, to please contact me or my team at GJK Facility Services via phone, text or LinkedIn Message, and we will do whatever we can to support you.

In addition to this, I want to sincerely thank the tireless efforts of the men and women who are fighting to keep us safe. Thank you and stay safe everyone!

Guide Dogs Vic

GJK Facility Services is proud to partner with Guide Dogs Victoria to help support the training of these clever dogs.

We think this is a fantastic partnership: we are able to give back to the communities that we work in, and our employees gain the opportunities to learn, grown and experience different things.

The little cutie pictured here is Kosnan, who spent some time with the team at GJK. He is 16 weeks into his training to become a Guide Dog.

If you would like to support these puppies and the wonderful work they do in the community, simply click the “donate” button below.

Kids paint 2nd mural

This week has been very exciting for GJK Facility Services, as we engaged local Indigenous artist, Arkie to design and paint another mural for our carpark walls.

This time around we have collaborated with the students at Collingwood College, where they each designed their own piece to be incorporated into the mural. The students and Arkie have been working hard over the last few days to complete the project, which is looking fabulous! Mayor Danae Bosler - Yarra City Council even came for a visit and got painting herself!

This all started when GJK approached Collingwood College’s Principal Sam Luck, and art teacher Angela Dionysopoulos, with the idea of Arkie sharing her knowledge and stories of Indigenous art with the students.

The idea around this was to educate the students from grades 5 & 6, about Indigenous culture which would then form part of their art curriculum. Arkie shared her story and meaning behind her artwork with the students, inspiring them with ideas of what their symbol could be. The students were then asked to create their own symbol, which they would then paint onto the large community mural.

Arkie explained to the students; “In my art, I use contemporary and abstract symbols to depict things in the environment around us and also things about myself. A lot of my work uses a circular symbol which can mean many things across different Indigenous Australian people. For my family, it means campsites and meeting places”.

During the following weeks, the students worked on their designs with the excitement of knowing they would soon be part of a larger artwork on display for everyone to see.

Arkie’s vision behind this mural?

“The art piece I’ve created with the students, represents different parts of the community coming together to support each other and how a community working together can achieve great things.”

GJK is proud to be involved in such a great project and we look forward to the unveiling of the finished artwork.

$2m for healthcare

GJK Facility Services is proud to be one of the many companies that helps raise funds to support Epworth HealthCare. Each year these companies help to raise more than $2 million, and the funds are used to support a range of activities including medical research, staff scholarships and patient care programs.

Epworth HealthCare hosts all supporting companies once a year at Epworth Richmond to thank them for their support. It was my pleasure to represent the EMF Board of trustees at the event this year, with EMF Executive Director Scott Bulger, and Dr Lachlan Henderson Group Chief Executive of Epworth HealthCare.

Lest we forget

At 11.00am on the 11th of November 1918, an Armistice was signed between the German and Allied forces, which brought an end to a war that to this day, is the cause of the greatest loss of life in recorded human history.

Today at 11am, GJK took a short pause, not to celebrate war, but to contemplate the sacrifice made by all those who have given their lives in the service of their country, in that conflict and in the many conflicts since and to recognise those who returned but were forever changed by their experiences.

On this 101st Anniversary of the Armistice, GJK's General Manager, People & Safety Doug Melville, himself a retired veteran, reminded us there are no remaining veterans of that conflict. As each generation become less connected with that period in world history and with those who lived through it, it becomes increasingly important that the lessons of the past, are not permitted to fade from our collective memory.

Lest we forget.

Safe Work Month

At GJK Facility Services we are committed to ensuring everyone goes home from work safely at the end of each day. Aligned with #SafeWorkMonth, GJK developed a calendar to raise awareness about the importance of safety in the workplace.

This calendar was designed by the children of our valued employees and supported by our generous partners.

Advance Careers, Central Cleaning Supplies, Direct Health Solutions, Injury Assist, Hannafords Cleaning Trade Supply Co., Commonwealth Bank, True Cleaning Services Ptd. Ltd, GJK Indigenous Solutions.

In addition to this, GJK held an morning tea to recognise our #SafeWorkMonth safety champions, who actively took a role in supporting a strong health and safety culture.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

Indigenous art

GJK are proud to have initiated a joint project with Collingwood College, Yarra City Council and local Indigenous artist, Arkie to raise awareness of Indigenous culture through art with the kids at Collingwood College.

Learning what different symbols mean in Indigenous art, the kids will design a symbol that represents themselves. These will then be incorporated into a large mural designed by Arkie.

Together, the kids and Arkie will paint the mural on a wall in Sturt Street,Collingwood for the local community to enjoy.