Women’s Health Week encourages Australian women to improve their health and wellbeing and is an initiative of the Jean Hailes Foundation, a national non-profit organisation, dedicated to providing world-class health services to women, and making them more aware of issues affecting their health throughout various stages of their lives.
At CVCheck nearly half our employees are women, as are the workforces at our extensive network of clients, stakeholders and partners in the Australian and New Zealand recruitment, talent acquisition and HR industries. So it’s extremely important to us as an organisation to acknowledge the contribution of our hard-working female employees and celebrate their day-to-day successes.
CVCheck and Women’s Health Week in Melbourne
Marlene Cassar, CVCheck’s National Employment Services Account Manager, kicked off our Women’s Health Week celebrations in Melbourne on Monday 2 September by inviting a group of women from the Employment Services Industry to a high tea lunch at Mary Eats Cake in Brunswick.
Marlene believes that many women in business miss the opportunity to talk intimately about their physical health and wellbeing both in and outside of the workplace. “We’re often so focused on other tasks, it’s the last thing on our ‘to do’ list for the day,” she says.
Many women in the workforce lack the opportunity to unwind and look after themselves, especially mums with young children, working full-time. “Women-to-women networking with like-minded people in their free time is vital to recharging, and can also be a great way to form valuable partnerships,” Marlene adds. “Personally I loved how we all connected at our Women’s Health Week catch-up – we laughed a lot, and really embraced and encouraged each other.”
How women at CVCheck look after their health
For Marlene, looking after her physical and mental wellbeing involves spending time being active outdoors. “I love walking and running outdoors, I try to fit this in at any opportunity I can,” she explains. “I recently started learning to play golf, which is great for both the mind and body. Occasionally I also meditate, which, if done right, can be very rejuvenating.”
And Marlene isn’t the only CVCheck team member who likes to keep fit.
Monique James, Development and Improvement Co-ordinator and working mother, takes her exercise to the next level. “I do hip-hop every Tuesday after work with a dance group called The Hybrid Creative,” she admits. “Most of us in the group are working mums and often, we switch off the lights and dance in the dark so no one feels self-conscious. There are heaps of laughs and it’s a really fun class. No one cares if you’re not good at it either, it’s just a fun way to let it all out.”
But when it comes to extreme exercise, Deanna McDonald, Operations Team Leader, is the clear winner. A fan of weight lifting, she recently competed in a three-day CrossFit competition which she says was “challenging and rewarding” at the same time. When not in the gym, Deanna spends time with her young daughter, taking her for hot chocolate dates and for walks in the park.
How CVCheck leads by example
Wellbeing is important to the organisation on every level. Our management – many of whom also love being active outside of work hours – recognises that CVCheck couldn’t be productive without employees enjoying a healthy work-life balance.
CVCheck’s CEO, Rod Sherwood, for example, spends many of his weekends in the South West, exploring the spectacular forests, surfing and riding his electric skateboard on the beach.
Andrew Maffett, CCO, loves the water. He spends his weekends sailing and kayaking – even after work if he gets the chance. “I go paddling to keep fit and to immerse myself in the natural environment, which I find quite mediative, and helps me keep things in perspective,” he explains. Andrew recently paddled the Murray River near Dwellingup as part of the annual Murray River Whitewater Festival.
But as essential as physical wellbeing is, CVCheck recognises the equal importance of mental health.
Jenny Shaw, the company’s Marketing Specialist, recently ran the City to Surf half marathon in Perth, and bikes or jogs to work, but also likes to keep her mind fit too. She recently attended an event hosted by an internationally acclaimed speaker, Dr. Libby, where the conversation focused on the negative effects of ongoing stress and how reassessing one’s own beliefs and perceptions of other people’s behaviour can help release this stress.
“Dr. Libby helped me stop overthinking situations which may have previously led to frustration, so now I have the knowledge to let incidents go that I may have misinterpreted before, or had little control over,” she explains.
CVCheck, as a business, understands both elements of wellbeing and aims to provide a healthy, inclusive environment that’s suitable for all employees.
- Healthy environment
CVCheck is lucky to have its headquarters in the Garden Office Park in Perth, where staff has access to a free on-site gym, tennis court and pool. The lush gardens surrounding the office are a relaxing place to take five during a busy day – staff can enjoy a leisurely walk, or simply enjoy some sunshine while sitting on the bean bags.
- Flexible working
The company’s management is supportive when it comes to individuals’ working requirements. Most of the roles at CVCheck are office-based, but the company offers flexibility for various roles, allowing staff to work remotely or from home when needed.
- Supportive management
CVCheck managers make a conscious effort to encourage feedback and allow staff to voice their opinions in an effort to make the company more efficient for everyone. Apart from the usual one-to-one operational meetings, they’re interested in the staff’s mental wellbeing and endeavour to be understanding of individuals’ personal life circumstances.
A team that’s active together, stays together
From fishing to rugby and painting to floating in sensory deprivation tanks, there are numerous ways people at CVCheck like to switch off. As Jack Penkin, Finance Manager recently said, “People at CVCheck are interested in you on both a work and personal level.” This is demonstrated by the number of social activities the company enjoys in outside of work hours together.
Client Services and Operations regularly organises bowling nights, and most recently, Marketing put up an evening to play VR games. There are also numerous annual events, apart from the yearly Christmas party, that give the broader team opportunities to get together and socialise, including Christmas in July and the CVCheck Cup competitions.
