Bill Marriott Praises Company's Hourly Workers

WASHINGTON, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, chairman and CEO Bill Marriott recognized and celebrated Marriott associates who have helped the company earn a spot on the inaugural list of "Best Companies for Hourly Workers," by Working Mother magazine.  The award ceremony was held at the Renaissance Mayflower, and included a panel discussion moderated by Carol Evans, President, Working Mother Media, and Donna Klein, President and Founder, Corporate Voices for Working Families.  

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[YouTube Video -- Meet Christine Dowling Lopez, event services supervisor at the JW Marriott, Washington, DC.  In the short video, hear this hourly associate talk about her career path, benefits, and what gets her excited every day.]  

With hourly associates in attendance, Bill Marriott said in his remarks, "Our associates are not just important to our business … they are the heart of the Marriott culture.  It is their talent, experience and dedication to service that make it possible for us to serve millions of customers around the world.  It is their warmth, caring and sense of family and community that brings so many customers back to stay with us again and again."

He went on to say, "What keeps me up at night is making sure they feel valued and continue to get opportunities to grow and contribute.  We are committed to providing these loyal, hard-working people with a great workplace … and a world of opportunities for personal and professional growth.

"One reason we do this is because, it's just good business.  If we want our people to take care of our customers and deliver the best service, it's very important to give them opportunities to grow and develop.  It helps our company be more innovative and, ultimately, more successful.  In fact, many of our senior leaders started in hourly positions, then rose through the ranks."

Marriott was praised by Working Mother for offering flexible work arrangements, specifically mentioning programs at its global reservation sales and customer-care centers, shared-services center in Knoxville, Tenn., and headquarters office.  The publication also praised Marriott's decision in 2009 to extend health care benefits to associates unable to maintain the 30-hours worked per week minimum typically required due to the economy.

The winners are detailed in Working Mother's May issue and at www.workingmother.com/bestcompanies.

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.