Last week the award winning grocery store chain Wegmans Food Markets announced that they would stop selling tobacco in their stores. Surprisingly, the focus of the announcement was not on the customer. After all, the company will lose a considerable amount of profit from stopping the sale of tobacco. Wegmans instead stated that part of the decision was to help protect their employees.
To the envy of powerless HR employees everywhere, Wegmans has long been focused on their employees. For the past three years Wegmans has been in the top 3 Best Companies to Work For. One of the many employee based initiatives has been their focus on employee health. In 2003, Wegmans began the “Eat Well Live Well Challenge,” a wellness program focused on eating right and exercise for their employees. What makes this program more unique is that unlike many companies who try and prevent other companies from stealing their employee initiatives to set themselves apart, Wegmans opened up their program to other companies offering training and support for other companies to promote wellness.
The newest tobacco initiative is not a surprise for anyone who has tracked the progress of Wegmans. Neither is it a surprise that they are going to start a smoking cessation program for their employees. Making the best short term financial decision for a company is shortsighted. Wegmans has done far more for their reputation and thus ultimate financial success by putting themselves on the forefront.
If this post sounds like an advertisement for Wegmans, I may be guilty. I live in the heart of Wegmans territory as well as having a personal connection. I do the majority of my shopping at Wegmans. Wegmans employs several of our clients as well as other individuals with disabilities. One of our board members is a Wegmans employee. The fact is all of these connections are not random, they are a result of the ethical, social, and business savvy of Wegmans.
Wegmans is able to do something many HR people wish their companies could do, illustrate that they truly care about their employees. It doesn’t hurt that it gives the company positive press and lower health care costs. I have to say, I’m jealous. Hire me!
January 7, 2008 at 7:01 pm |
I kept looking to see if Wegmans had any HR openings when I still lived up north, but alas, no. I must say, Wegmans does set the bar high… especially for an industry that I would think has a higher turnover rate. I do see a lot of people that have worked for Wegmans for years. Several fellow Geneseo Grads moved down here to VA to help open up the new stores and plan to stay with them for some time to come.
I must say, i miss my Wegmans.
January 12, 2008 at 11:04 pm |
Dear god I miss Wegmans. Please Wegmans, build some stores in Philly. There are a few in the suburbs, but without a car I’m stuck.