Sodexo announced Friday that it will ensure sick pay for all full-time and part-time employees for up to 21 days if they have a confirmed case of COVID-19. The benefit also extends to staff members who are asked not to come to work due to symptoms of the coronavirus. Vacation time and paid time off will not have to be used while an employee is absent.
In the company’s statement, Sarosh Mistry, president of Sodexo USA, said, “Sodexo is committed to the health and safety of our employees, our clients and the communities we serve, and that includes supporting our employees where we can if they get sick as they service our clients. … As the service industry deals with the business implications of COVID-19, it’s just as important that we look at the human impact of our work as it is that we look at the bottom line.”
With food insecurity becoming more widespread as school and college closings accelerate, Sodexo is also ramping up its community outreach in partnership with the Stop Hunger Foundation. Through Feeding America, Food Recovery Network, Moves for Hunger and Food Rescue US, the foodservice provider is supporting area food banks, recovering food from impacted sites and activating volunteers.