Sodexo Prepares Employees to Respond to the H1N1 Pandemic
By Jennifer Heth, Senior Recruiter

Each day, we hear more and more about the spread of H1N1 influenza. This news is particularly noted by Sodexo, as we operate in environments such as schools, universities, hospitals and senior facilities, serving a high volume of individuals each day. For us, disease prevention is an important focus at all times, not just during times of outbreak or increased risk.

Sodexo places a high priority on keeping employees well informed about health risks such as H1N1 influenza and provides numerous resources for our employees to access information about disease prevention and infection control. Our Emergency/Crisis Resource Center provides online resources to our employees, including such information as H1N1 updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand sanitizer and hand-washing information, daily prevention checklists, pandemic action plan information, and responses to frequently asked questions about H1N1. In addition to online resources, each of Sodexo’s units has additional information available for employees that is tailored to that particular location’s needs.

Sodexo also has a long-standing partnership with the American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES). Dave Roberson, Senior Director of Environmental Services Brand Management for Sodexo and Board Member for ASHES notes, “ASHES provides Sodexo Managers with additional resources such as CDC updates, e-blasts on pertinent issues, access to a variety of environmental services publications, and an abundance of opportunities for information and best practice sharing among members.” Additionally, ASHES hosts an annual conference that includes speaker presentations on topics such as infection control. These presentations provide Sodexo managers with further information on topics such as H1N1 and help to ensure that we are able to be proactive in preventing its spread.