Sodexo Again Recognized as Best Place to Work for Hourly Workers by Working Mother Magazine

GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, Sodexo, Inc. has been named a 'Best Place to Work for Hourly Workers' by Working Mother Magazine for having a culture and programs in place that help hourly workers succeed and advance. The magazine's list reflects best practices across a spectrum of employer policies and programs including health benefits, employee assistance programs, paid leave and training.

Sodexo earned top 10 rankings in career advancement and manager training (#4), and for having extensive life and job-skills training (#5) for its hourly (and salaried) employees. The company was also recognized for its culture, including diversity and inclusion strategy and training for employees (#7).

"Providing our workers with the tools and opportunities that they need to have a long and rewarding career with us is one of the reasons why Sodexo has the highest employee retention rate in our industry," said George Chavel, president and chief executive officer of Sodexo North America. "For many of our hourly employees, Sodexo provides their first entry into the job market, and over the years, we have promoted hundreds of our hourly workers into management positions."

Following in the 25-year tradition of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies, this initiative is dedicated to spotlighting best practices and honoring the best companies dedicated to supporting their hourly workers. The award will be presented as part of Working Mother's Best Companies for Hourly Workers Summit in Washington, DC. The entire list, which honors companies whose workforce consists of more than 50 percent hourly workers, will be featured in the May issue of Working Mother, and on www.workingmother.com.

Methodology

Companies were selected for the 2010 Working Mother Best Companies for Hourly Workers based on an extensive application created in partnership with Corporate Voices for Working Families, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit membership organization. It includes more than 450 questions on workforce; benefits; training, development and advancement programs; child care; flexibility programs; paid time off and more. It surveyed the availability and usage of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them, reflecting 2010 data. Private and public firms in any industry, with the exception of government agencies and firms in the business of providing work-life services, with at least 500 U.S. employees were invited to participate. To qualify, a company's U.S. workforce must be comprised of at least 50 percent nonexempt employees.

About Sodexo

Sodexo in North America

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions

Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 380,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of On-site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.