bankmecu appreciates the importance of acknowledging and rewarding staff who make a positive impact in the workplace. As a result, in 2010/11 bankmecu's internal staff sustainability reference group 'Footprints' put in place the Sustainability Superstar Awards to recognise staff who have made a significant contribution to sustainability in the workplace.
Outstanding contribution to sustainability by staff – whether it’s economic, environmental or social – should demonstrate one or more of the following criteria:
- Initiative: something done without being asked
- Impact: has brought about noticeable change
- Engagement: led to greater connection between staff/customers
- Business success: can be success in economic, social or economic areas
- Innovation: a new or improved idea
Award categories:
- Outstanding Social Improvement
- Outstanding Environmental Improvement
- Outstanding Economic Improvement
- Outstanding Leadership
- Building Partnerships
Staff recognised for outstanding behaviour are rewarded with a field trip to bankmecu’s Conservation Landbank properties, including meeting the local community and visits to interesting surrounding sites. The reward trip is sponsored by one of bankmecu's insurance providers Allianz.
Sustainability Superstar Awards 2011
Congratulations to the following staff members who have been recognised for making a significant contribution to sustainability in the workplace in 2010/11:
Environmental Improvement
James Cornell, IT Head Office (Corporate Services) - James has been working on methods to reduce paper and printer usage and his current work in developing electronic reports/forms out of Phoenix.
Economic Improvement
Rebekah Watson, Marketing Coordinator - Retention, Head Office (Development) - Rebekah has worked on a campaign to convert customers from paper statements to eStatements, saving bankmecu $33,192 and more than 50,000 sheets of paper – great for the business and the environment.
Social Improvement
Derek de Vrieze, CBM, Bendigo (Development) - Derek has shown great initiative engaging with Aboriginal organisations in the Bendigo region. The networks Derek is building will prove invaluable for furthering the actions set out in bankmecu’s Reconciliation Action Plan.
Tammie McDonald, Learning and Development Consultant, Head Office (Corporate Services) - Tammie has worked hard engaging with staff on the development and roll-out of a new on-line sustainability training program to build capacity within our workforce and in the process has had to overcome difficult logistical and technological issues.
Outstanding Leadership
Caroline Hardie, Senior Officer National Access, Head Office (Operations) - Over the past 12 months Caroline has continued to surprise her Manager with her ideas and achievements in two main areas: engagement with staff and other departments and innovation/initiative to improve processes.
Monique Lloyd, MSC, Castlemaine (Personal Banking) - Monique has shown great initiative as the service centre sustainability champion at the Castlemaine Service Centre. Monique has assisted staff to reduce their environmental impact and also attended numerous functions on weekends in her own time to learn more about sustainability and to pass any relevant information on to colleagues.
Building Partnerships with Individuals/Organisations
Jacob Edwards, Manager PBS, Head Office (Personal Banking) - For some time Jacob has built and developed relationships with a number of organisations in the affordable housing field. This commenced some years ago and has reached the point where Jacob’s expertise has become extremely valuable to bankmecu and a number of organisations looking to enter this field.
Judy Abernethy, CBM, Brisbane (Development) - Judy has been a strong advocate for bankmecu’s commitment to sustainable development and responsible banking over some seven years. She has represented bankmecu well as a ‘local ambassador’ and developed a strong following of people and community sector organisations committed to supporting bankmecu as customers. Her commitment to sustainability has also seen her take positions on the Australian Green Development Forum and the Board of Home Ground Queensland.