3 Reasons to Recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Office
Breast cancer awareness is a cause dear to our hearts here at InfoMart. We lost a valued employee to the disease, and we currently support three women who are proud survivors. The rally cry for breast cancer awareness motivates people at least once a year to step away from their busy schedules and show support for the cause through walking, fundraising, and monetary donations. It’s a key component of our employee engagement calendar.
The best word to describe Tanya would be “firecracker”. She had a voice that sounded like Fran Drescher and a contagious laugh. Every evening on her dinner break she stopped by my office. Sometimes we had long conversations about life, other times just a quick hello and a wave.
That year she complained of some health problems and missed a few days of work as a result. She finally went to the doctor and received the shocking news that at age 40 she had breast cancer. She underwent surgery almost immediately. Many of us anticipated she would be returning to work after chemotherapy, but unfortunately, that isn’t what happened. Tanya’s cancer continued to progress. She passed away 3 years after her diagnosis at age 43. When I was told that she only had months left, I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Breast cancer became very real for all of us.
Because this devastating disease is a reality for so many people, companies can incorporate awareness and fundraising programs. Your office will be able to rally and bond over supporting a common cause.
1. Employee Engagement
InfoMart rallies every year to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness. We support the annual walk in our community, where they present an award in honor of Tanya Briggs, the employee we tragically lost to breast cancer. Employee engagement and fundraising don’t need to be expensive; last year, two of our employee-led committees partnered to organize a Spirit Week. Together they raised money by asking our employees to donate $1 for each day they participated. Our staff were more than willing to pay a small fee to wear their pajamas to work or dress tacky for aday while helping a worthwhile cause. InfoMart supported the effort by matching each donation, which doubled the total.
2. Corporate Responsibility
Companies have a responsibility to the communities they serve, but businesses forget that their communities extend far beyond their immediate surroundings. InfoMart’s community, for example, includes the companies working alongside us in Atlanta, the friends and families of our dedicated employees, our vendors, and our clients. “Corporate responsibility” should be more than just a buzzword. It is one of the pillars on which customers base their business, especially in B2B partnerships.
Recently, the public has shown an increased interest in how a company shares its resources with its community. In addition to benefiting breast cancer research, demonstrating your commitment to breast cancer awareness month can only strengthen your relationships both inside and outside your company.
3. Personal Professional Development
Personal professional development ties directly to your employee engagement. By empowering your employees to become more involved in the planning and execution of your charitable events, your company fosters skills in leadership, organization, strategy, financial management, public speaking, marketing, and more.
One of the most valuable results froma company-wide endeavor is the possibility of potentially fostering new interdepartmental communication. Working together toward a common goal—in this case, supporting breast cancer awareness—ultimately fosters friendships and relationships between your employees, which in turn strengthens your company.
Now go out and support a worthwhile cause.
Deciding which causes to commit your employee’s time and energy towards outside of the office is a big decision. Choosing humanitarian efforts that are important to your employees, your community, and yourself will initiate a passionate, personal response all around. To see how InfoMart puts employee engagement and community involvement in the hands of our dedicated staff outside of breast cancer awareness month, check out our I’M Committees. For more information on the facts and figures surrounding breast cancer research, visit www.nationalbreastcancer.org.
How do you engage your employees and your business in community service projects? Share your thoughts with me on Twitter, or connect with me on LinkedIn.
About Tammy Cohen
Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record.
About InfoMart
InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.