We are only halfway through 2024, and already too many women have lost their lives under horrific circumstances. The alarming rise in women dying due to gender-based violence has prompted our government to declare it has reached crisis point.

To ensure no more women needlessly lose their lives, we all have a responsibility to be active participants in the national movement to end violence against women. Because of this, Bupa is proud to have partnered with the Our Watch Institute, Australia’s leading team of violence prevention and gender equality experts, to progress our work in the prevention of violence against women.

Leaning on their expertise, we’ll enhance the internal training and programs we already have in place to build confidence in Bupa’s leaders to appropriately respond and support people in their team who may be experiencing gender-based violence. We’ll also be more visible in the support offered to our people, which includes referrals to support services and access to family and domestic violence leave.

We also want to ensure that we are delivering on our commitment to create a workplace where everyone can feel safe and thrive. We have implemented many measures in this space, including establishing a dedicated working group which is focused on continually improving our policies and processes in support of reducing bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, and sex discrimination in the workplace.

For our customers, we recognise that sharing experiences of family and domestic violence can be particularly challenging. Therefore, we’re committed to training our employees to recognise the signs, inform customers about appropriate support options, and maintain the confidentiality of their information.  You can read more about the customer support options here.

By partnering with the Our Watch Institute and by making our commitment to addressing gender-based violence public, we hope that we are taking meaningful steps to address this issue, not just now, but for future generations.

(*AIHW 2021-22 PSS)

These may look like humble life ambitions, but what makes them so remarkable is that Marwa lives with a moderate intellectual disability.

She has been working at the home for five months and was employed through JobSupport which specialises in helping young people with an intellectual disability to find employment.

“Working in aged care is greater than I thought it would be. I really enjoy saying hello and good morning to people and seeing them smile,” Marwa said.

“I think this is way better than school and I like caring for people. Everyone here has been so nice to me,” she said.

One in five Australians are living with a disability but only 53 percent of them are employed.

“The team at Bupa and JobSupport have been so supportive. When I first started here, I didn’t know how to unload the washing machine but the girl I work with (Teresa) told me to take my time with things,” Marwa said.

The home’s Acting General Manager, Barbara Chipere said Marwa has been a great addition to the team.

“We have worked with Marwa’s case manager to develop a training program which highlights what works well and what challenges we need to overcome so we can ensure Marwa has a long career with us.

“I know for a fact that the staff, residents and their relatives who have met Marwa have really taken a liking to her. She handles tasks with grace and fits like a glove into our tight knit team,” she said.

JobSupport Manager, Melissa Clark said people with disability spend much of their lives overcoming barriers and one that’s often out of their hands is finding a job.

“We aim to remove the visible and invisible barriers that prevent people with disability from finding work. We are grateful that companies like Bupa have welcomed Marwa into a job with open arms and provided the necessary support for her to thrive at work,” Ms Clark said.

“We support employers like Bupa in helping employees fit into their role and in the process are helping to change perceptions of what people with a disability can achieve in the workplace.”

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#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jason McGregor has given his all to customers at Bupa Optical Hobart for more than 10 years. 

"About 25 years ago, I bought a set of outrageous specs from a lady and I thought to myself 'I'd be brilliant at this'," he says.

"Working in front line service has given me the ability to interact with so many different kinds of humans. A lot of the time, people just want someone to listen to them."

The store manager was recently nominated by his colleague Elise Wilson for an Everyday Hero Award, a staff recognition program run by Bupa.

"Jase has an incredible memory - he can remember almost every customer’s first and second name from years back. Due to Jase’s amazing memory everybody always feels like family," she said.

"Walking around Hobart with Jase is like walking around town with a celebrity. Jase has built an incredibly strong rapport with customers, so much so that they return just to see him and seek his opinion, often stopping him on the street. Jason makes everyone from all walks of life feel comfortable and accepted.

"Jason is passionate about providing high quality care and delivering the best results possible at Bupa Optical Hobart. He always looks after his staff members and deeply cares for our overall wellbeing. He makes sure that staff are well-fed and often brings in homemade goodies, and if one member is unwell Jase may even make them chicken soup.

"Jason is truly the living embodiment of all of the Bupa values. He is incredibly caring and puts others before himself time and time again in his professional and personal life. I really hope that Jason can be recognised as the Everyday hero because he is an everyday hero to many people."

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Discover more about careers at Bupa.

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#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy. 

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.