Bridie Ruane, Ballina, with Kilkenny GAA hurling star Richie Hogan (right) and ISS managing director Eric Doyle.

Ballina lady Bridie goes the extra mile at work

BRIDIE Ruane from Ballina was among 150 people working in private and public sector businesses and facilities across Ireland who were honoured recently in the GEM Awards (Going the Extra Mile).

The awards were presented by ISS Ireland, a major provider of outsourced site services, employing over 3,500 people throughout Ireland.

Bridie, who works for the Department of Housing, is responsible for working out the weekly schedule ensuring all shifts are covered, that supplies are ordered monthly, and that timesheets are up to date.

According to the judging panel, when Bridie is on holidays the rest of the team keep everything running smoothly – the reason being her leadership skills. She treats her co-workers with respect and in return they treat her with respect.

The Irish GEM Awards were presented by Richie Hogan, the popular Kilkenny hurling star. He said he was delighted to participate in the event, which recognises the hard work and dedication of frontline staff in the services sector.

“There’s great excitement among the winners and a real sense of satisfaction in being acknowledged for giving your best. That is a great feeling, whether on the sports field or in the workplace, and I have great respect for these individuals, who consistently work hard and go beyond what is expected of them” Richie said.

The ISS Ireland GEM Awards recognise the valuable contribution of employees who together bring a wealth of experience and energy to the services sector. ISS Ireland employees are involved in out-sourced operational and support services, such as catering, cleaning, security, maintenance, landscaping, post-room, reception, property management and pest control.

“The people who work in essential support services, like cleaning, catering, security and maintenance, can go unnoticed in the workplace, but without them our clients’ premises, including hospitals, universities and businesses, simply could not function,” said ISS managing director Eric Doyle at the sixth annual awards ceremony.

“To stay competitive, many Irish companies outsource their non-core services and rely on supplier partners like ISS to effectively and efficiently deliver these services. Our team’s expertise allows our clients to focus on the areas of business that derive more value.”