Our team collectively pushed out a total of 47,278 push-ups!

The Push-Up Challenge brings people together through push-ups, squats, or sit-ups to raise awareness for those living with mental health-related issues, start conversations to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health, and generated much needed funds for leading not-for-profit organisations operation in the Australian mental health sector, including; Lifeline, Movember and the Push for Better Foundation.

Servier Australia CEO, Brad Lloyd, explained why the company chose to participate in this important Australian initiative once again this year.

“One of the things we hope to get out of this is to encourage more men in particular, to talk about their mental health. Of the 3,139 people who took their lives in 2020, 75 per cent of them were men.”

The challenge to complete a minimum of 3,139 push-ups individually, or as a team, stems from the tragic statistic of people dying by suicide in 2020 (1).  Founded by Nick Hudson in 2017, the Push-Up Challenge began as an unofficial competition between mates to encourage one another to exercise. By 2019, a website and purpose-built tracker had been launched, and the initiative was garnering traction nation-wide, with almost 50,000 Australians joining the push for better mental health. By 2020, the Challenge had raised $5.1 million.

Echoing the sentiments of the Push-Up Challenge, Servier Australia Key Account Manager, Aaron Dixon, reinforced the importance of maintaining both physical and mental health.

“Physical health and mental health go hand-in-hand. You need to look after your body, and your brain. It’s all about trying to find the harmony.”

Nine teams comprised of 54 Servier Australia “Legends” joined the Push-Up Challenge this year. Our teams represented a diverse selection of departments from both Head Office, and out in the Field. This sparked some friendly competition and, most importantly, generated conversations around mental health.

The ICTR (International Centre for Therapeutic Research) Team topped the leader board with 14,400 push-ups. We are extremely proud of Servier Australia’s contribution to the #pushforbetter mental health for all Australians.

Mental Health in the Workplace 

The mental health and well-being of our Servier colleagues is paramount. We consistently strive to create a healthy, inclusive, and welcoming environment, both in office, and for those working remotely.

Having relocated to a new, purpose-built site in Melbourne this month, Servier Australia is offering our colleagues a contemporary and progressive open-plan office featuring different zones for structured meetings, informal discussions, and personal work, bringing the best parts of working from home into the office space.

The aesthetically pleasing and culturally motivating design encourages our colleagues to collaborate, learn, and grow together.

“Everybody, including myself, is in open plan, and nobody has an office. We did a lot to make coming to work a motivating experience”

– said Brad, CEO.