Sodexo Earns 2016 Leading Disability Employer Seal™ for Exemplary Practices in Hiring and Employment of People with Disabilities

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, today announced being an inaugural recipient of the 2016 Leading Disability Employer Seal™. The Seal was awarded by the National Organization on Disability (NOD) to recognize companies that demonstrate exemplary hiring and employment practices for people with disabilities. Recognized organizations were announced via a video message by NOD Chairman, Gov. Tom Ridge.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 17.5 percent of people with disabilities were employed in 2015. The employment-population ratio for those without disabilities, on the other hand, was 65 percent. The Leading Disability Employer Seal is a new effort by NOD designed to applaud organizations that are advancing disability hiring and encourage more companies to tap into the many benefits of hiring talent with disabilities.

"They have seen the untapped potential of this talent pool," said Gov. Tom Ridge. "They have dedicated resources to welcome individuals with disabilities into their companies. And they are reaping the rewards of a diverse and productive workforce. When he signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in 1990, President George H.W. Bush said employers hold the key to unlocking the great potential of the ADA. On behalf of President Bush, who proudly serves as NOD's Honorary Chairman, let me be the first to congratulate and thank these businesses for leading the way."

On December 3rd, UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Sodexo's Disability Voice taskforce sponsors, Denis Machuel, CEO Benefits & Rewards Services, and Sue Black, Global Senior Vice President, Human Resources, shared their insights on how Sodexo has committed that 100% of their workforce will have access to their programs for people with disabilities by 2025. "This means that in every country where Sodexo operates, we will actively work to put in place initiatives and programs that recruit, engage and develop people with disabilities, within the parameters of regional laws and policies over the next 10 years," said Dr. Rohini Anand, Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo.

The NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal is awarded based on data furnished by companies in response to NOD's Disability Employment Tracker™, a free, confidential, online assessment and benchmarking of companies' disability inclusion programs in the following areas:

• Climate and Culture
• Identifying and Sourcing Talent
• Onboarding
• Performance Management
• Tracking and Measurement (including outcomes in the past 12 months and goals for the next 12-18 months)
• Veterans Employment

The 2016 Leading Disability Employer Seal winners are:

Accenture                                                      
Anthem                                                          
Bath Veterans Affairs Medical Center           
The Boeing Company                                    
Capital One                                                    
Christiana Care Health System                     
Colgate-Palmolive                                         
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition               
Colorado Springs Utilities                               
Comcast NBCUniversal                                
CSC                                                               
EMC                                                               
EY                                                                  
Exelon Corporation
General Motors
The Hartford
The Hershey Company
Lockheed Martin
Monsanto
National Grid USA
New Editions Consulting
Northrop Grumman
Procter & Gamble
Prudential Financial
PwC
S&P Global
Sodexo

To be considered for the NOD 2017 Leading Disability Employer Seal, companies can sign up for the Disability Employment Tracker^TM.  While companies can use the free Tracker assessment at any time, to be considered for the 2017 Leading Disability Employer Seal submissions must be received during the designated qualifying window, which will open in autumn 2016.

Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life. The Fortune Global 500 company is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations.

Learn more about the company at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.

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