Employee engagement: a driver of transformation
To meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, Sodexo has chosen a model firmly focused on people, innovation, and sustainability.
In 2021, we renewed our employer promise: placing employees at the heart of our strategy. We invest in strengthening the skills and adaptability of our teams. Their performance, engagement, and well-being, both physical and mental, are key elements of our success.
Being a leader and pioneer comes with responsibility. We are committed to raising social standards and generating a positive ripple effect across the industry. With this goal in mind, Sodexo launched Vita in 2023, a fair and inclusive benefits program, unprecedented in the sector, providing employees3 in all countries where Sodexo operates with a common foundation of financial protection, social security, and personal support.
VITA by Sodexo 
Vita by Sodexo, our global benefits program, is a common foundation for a comprehensive benefits package at Sodexo. The Group has committed to offer three benefits to all eligible employees:
Life insurance
Benefit payable upon death of an employee to their beneficiaries equal to 1 x annual base salary.
Employee assistance program
Free helpline to support well-being, providing employees with 24/7 access to advice, guidance and counselling.
Parental/care leave
Benefit payable to employees who take parenting leave and family care leaves:
- Maternity (primary caregiver) : 12 weeks paid leave, with an ambition to reach 14 weeks
- Paternity (secondary caregiver) : 2 weeks paid leave
- Family caregiver : 5 days paid leave
Safety, an absolute priority
Employee safety is non-negotiable at Sodexo. We make it a priority at all levels of the organization. Our commitment to the physical safety of our employees is embodied in our Zero Accident initiative, exemplified by programs such as the Zero Accident culture program, designed by and for frontline teams. Through engaging formats like Escape Safe exercises and inspiring content, safety prevention becomes a dynamic and human-centered practice.
Processes for engaging with own workforce and workers’ representatives about impacts [S1-2]
Sodexo is committed to responsible, transparent, and continuous social dialogue, in full compliance with national legal frameworks and international human rights standards. Engagement with our workforce takes place both directly and through employee representative bodies, depending on local contexts. Regular exchanges occur at different levels of the organization, site, country, region and Group, ensuring that employees’ perspectives are taken into account in decision-making processes that affect their working conditions, well-being, and career opportunities.
To complement this, Sodexo has implemented the Speak Up ethics line, which enables employees and third parties to report concerns safely and confidentially, ensuring voices are heard without fear of retaliation. Additionally, every two years, the Group runs the Voice survey, which gathers comprehensive feedback from employees worldwide, including vulnerable populations. Survey results are reviewed at senior management level and translated into concrete action plans at both local and Group level.
Oversight of social dialogue and workforce engagement is led by the Group Human Resources function, under the responsibility of the Chief Human Resources Officer. In certain geographies, social dialogue is further reinforced by collective bargaining agreements, and at global level, Sodexo engages with international workers’ organizations to strengthen alignment with human rights and labor standards.
Through these processes, Sodexo ensures that the perspectives of its workforce, including the most vulnerable, are not only captured but also shape the Group’s policies, practices, and continuous improvement efforts.
Commitments and targets [S1-5]
As a people-driven company, Sodexo’s success relies on the well-͏being, engagement, and development of its 426,000 employees. In line with our Better Tomorrow 2025 roadmap and our Employer Value Proposition (Belong, Act, Thrive), our social targets focus on safe and fair working conditions, inclusion and gender balance, employee engagement, and community empowerment, ensuring measurable progress and accountability across the Group.
Belong:
- Achieve 40% women in senior leadership positions by 2025.
- Foster a culture of trust and safety, ensuring no retaliation for employees who raise concerns through the Speak Up ethics line or other reporting channels.
- Ensure fair wages for all employees and strict compliance with local minimum wage regulations.