After the more than a year and a half we’ve just endured, health and safety are top of mind no matter if you are a consumer or an operator. Nestlé USA is clearly taking this seriously, as it recently received the WELL Health-Safety Rating for its corporate office locations, signifying the company's larger efforts to provide a safe and healthy environment for employees and evolve its workplace for the future.
"The safety and health of our people will always be our top priority, and our achievement of the WELL Health-Safety Rating underscores that commitment," said Judy Cascapera, Chief People Officer, Nestlé USA. "As we reflected on the last year and what people are looking for in a workplace, now and in the future, we recognized that simply going back to how we used to work wasn't an option. We're excited for this next chapter as a company and believe that providing our employees with the flexibility they need to get the job done, wherever that may be, will be essential to our continued business growth and our ability to retain and attract top talent."
The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for buildings looking to implement, validate, and measure investments that support health and wellness. Building on its already rigorous health and safety protocols across both factories and campuses, Nestlé USA employed the following noteworthy factors, which contributed to this achievement: increased outdoor intake and enhanced filtration to improve air quality, air flow, and sanitization; innovated alternatives to high-touch surface areas such as touchless coffee machines in campuses; and improved employee benefits such as complimentary access to wellness apps and virtual counseling.
The WELL Health-Safety seal will be applied to five buildings across Nestlé USA's three corporate campuses in Arlington, Virginia; Solon, Ohio; and Seattle, Washington, a press release stated.
"Nestlé's achievement of the WELL Health-Safety Rating across its corporate offices shows a commitment to a healthier and safer workplace that's operated with employees as a top priority," said Rachel Hodgdon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the International WELL Building Institute. "As the world's largest food and beverage company, Nestlé has a long history of pursuing a better and healthier world, and we applaud its leadership as we all work to get back to business with confidence."
Nestlé USA will continue to enhance its workspaces to best serve as hubs for creativity, collaboration, and culture among its employees. The company is launching a new working model that empowers its employees to decide where to work on any given day based on where they are most productive.
Stay tuned as we watch and see how these upcoming plans play out!
