Fair and Inclusive Workplaces and Communities

Zero Tolerance for Acts of Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace

Our business integrity commitment includes standards that provide for equal employment and promotion opportunities and strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment of any kind against any of our employees. All Sodexo employees are required to abide by these standards in order to help create inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive. These standards have been developed in line with our adherence to global standards, such as the UN Global Compact Principles (since 2003), the UN Women Empowerment Principles (since 2015), the ILO Global Business and Disability Network Charter (since 2016) and the UN LGBTI Standards (since 2020). We are constantly reviewing our policies and working to meet the needs of our workforce and the communities we serve. The Sodexo Speak Up Ethics Line allows everyone working for or on behalf of Sodexo or with whom Sodexo has or has had some type of business relationship to raise concerns about possible misconduct – including discrimination or harassment – in a safe and confidential environment.

Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

In June 2017, Sodexo and the International Union of Food (IUF) signed an agreement committed to preventing and combating sexual harassment in the workplace. Sodexo and the IUF wish to ensure that all employees are aware of what constitutes sexual harassment, that they fully understand what is expected of them, that they know how to report any problems and that they are able to report alleged abuses in total confidence. Following this agreement, training for all staff regarding this policy and their responsibilities has become mandatory. We provide online training on the subject and on the reporting mechanism, e.g., our Speak Up Ethics Line.

Self-Awareness Training

We want each employee to be treated fairly and build a self-aware, respectful and inclusive workforce. This requires effort to raise awareness amongst our managers and employees regarding sensitive issues, such as understanding their own behaviours towards others and on how they can contribute to build more inclusive workplaces. As such, we invest in and implement the necessary tools, processes and training to achieve  this goal. Sodexo has developed Diversity, Equity & Inclusion learning and development programs to:

• Build awareness on diversity, equity & inclusion in order to foster an inclusive culture
• Explore how diversity, equity & inclusion impacts our interpersonal interactions with colleagues, clients and customers
• Understand how inclusive behaviors can impact performance, recruitment, talent retention and team engagement
• Assist employees in creating personal action plans