NORWICH, N.Y., Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chobani, LLC, a leading natural food company and maker of America's #1 Greek Yogurt brand, announced today it has been certified as a Great Place to Work^®, an independent recognition given to the country's best workplaces. Building on its founding commitment to strengthen its communities and support its employees, Chobani also announced a new paid parental leave policy that includes six weeks, 100% paid parental leave for mothers and fathers, including hourly and salaried employees.

"As a founder and a new father, my son opened my eyes to the fact that the vast majority of workers in this country don't have access to paid family leave when they have a new child," said Hamdi Ulukaya, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chobani. "That's especially true when it comes to manufacturing and that needs to change in this country and Chobani needed to be part of that change."

Grace Zuncic, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy and a key advisor on the new policy added: "In designing employee benefits like parental leave, we've always tried to take a holistic view that includes everyone in the company. What I value most as a new mom—and a newly expecting mom—is that paid parental leave isn't just about helping new parents, it's about our children. Our ability to spend time with them in their earliest days is essential. We hope the majority of U.S. companies that currently don't have plans in place to support new parents will get on-board with that thinking."

Chobani paid parental leave policy extends to every full-time employee
Chobani is always striving to do more for its families and communities and recognizes the importance of time spent with a new child. Effective in 2017, Chobani will implement a new paid parental leave policy, offering 100% paid parental leave for six weeks for all full-time hourly and salaried employees. The program extends to both mothers and fathers for the birth, adoption or placement of a foster child into the home.

Chobani's paid parental leave policy reflects Chobani's guiding principle that benefits be extended to the entire workforce of a company, regardless of job title or function. The policy is an extension of the company's current programming and benefits, including full healthcare for all full-time employees; wages that far exceed state and federal standards and minimums; retirement planning; and the recently announced Chobani Shares, which gives each employee the opportunity to share in the growth of the company over time.

This paid parental leave policy is important for Chobani, but it is also part of a critical conversation about the need for increased parental leave in the U.S.

Chobani's now certified as a Great Place to Work^®
Chobani joins an esteemed list of companies as a Great Place to Work, measured on qualities including trust, pride and culture. Employees contributed to an independently conducted survey to help inform the Great Place to Work certification, and 85% of employees said Chobani is a great place to work. Some of the areas that stood out in the survey were positive feelings around the company's contribution to the community, a sense of pride in Chobani and the ability to be oneself at work. Highlights from the survey results can be found here.

About Great Place to Work^®
Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework and expertise needed to create, sustain and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For" and a series of Best Workplaces lists, including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small and Medium Companies and over a half dozen different industries. 

About Chobani
Maker of America's No. 1–selling Greek Yogurt brand, Chobani, LLC, was founded on the belief that people have great taste—they just need great options. Chobani produces high-quality authentic strained Greek Yogurt products made with only natural ingredients from its plants in New Berlin, N.Y., Twin Falls, Idaho and South Victoria, Australia. Chobani is committed to using milk from regional farms and strengthening its surrounding local economies. Chobani gives a portion of its annual profits to charities worldwide through the company's charitable foundation. All Chobani products—including Chobani^® Greek Yogurt, Chobani "Flip"™, Chobani Mezé™ Dips, Drink Chobani™, Chobani Tots^®, Chobani Kids^® and Chobani Simply 100^®—are kosher certified, contain five live and active cultures and are made with milk from cows not treated with rBST.* Chobani products are available nationwide in the U.S., Mexico and Australia, and in countries in Asia and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.chobani.com and www.facebook.com/chobani.  

* According to the FDA, no significant difference has been found between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows.

Media Contact:
Alan Keane / Weber Shandwick / akeane2@webershandwick.com / 212-445-8410

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SOURCE Chobani, LLC

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http://www.chobani.com