Marriott International Opens Doors for Hourly Workers

BETHESDA, Md., April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) has been named to Working Mother's annual list of "Best Companies for Hourly Workers."  Marriott was one of 12 companies named to this list which recognizes companies for having strong work-life cultures and best policies and programs for promoting women.  To see what the magazine specifically said about Marriott, visit http://www.workingmother.com/best-companies/marriott-international-9.

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"We are extremely proud to be named to this select list focused on hourly workers.  Today, hourly employees make up more than 80 percent of the total workforce of 300,000 at our managed and franchised hotels worldwide.  They are truly the heart and soul of the company," said David Rodriguez, executive vice president and chief human resources officer. "We are devoted to opening doors to opportunity for our hourly employees in much the same manner as they are devoted to providing exceptional experiences to our hotel guests every day."

To support the company's plans to add 30,000 rooms in 2012, Marriott expects to hire 60,000 employees this year alone.    

Marriott offers special benefits that support hourly associates.  These include training and promotion of hourly workers (more than 3,000 managers began their careers at Marriott in hourly positions, in addition, thousands more moved laterally, gaining new career experiences); innovation in workplace flexibility and scheduling practices; and multiple programs to help hourly associates gain skills that they say have made an incredible impact to their work and personal lives.  

The survey, conducted by the Working Mother Research Institute, found that women at the winning companies earned 56% of all promotions from hourly non-manager to non-exempt manager positions. One hundred percent of the companies named to the list offered their hourly workers personal and family health insurance benefits.

Jennifer Owens, editorial director of Working Mother Media, says, "This year's Best Companies exemplify best-practices workplaces and cultures to help female hourly workers thrive. Most of the companies use the 70-20-10 rule: Focus 70% of your time on getting on-the-job experience, 20% on developing internal relationships and networks and 10% on formal training."

Marriott will be recognized in May at a special awards ceremony called the "National Conference Supporting Hourly Workers 2012," held at The Mayflower Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel.

For a summary of Marriott awards and recognition, including Marriott's ranking on Working Mother's Hall of Fame, and the "World's Best Multinational Workplaces" by Great Place to Work® Institute, visit Awards and Recognition.

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.  

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.