INDIANAPOLIS & WESTLAKE, Ohio—GetGo Café + Market, which is owned and operated by Giant Eagle Inc., was recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by Disability:IN and American Association of People with Disabilities.
This recognition was given to all brands under Giant Eagle. The company earned a 100% score on the 2022 Disability Inclusion Index (DEI) benchmark. The DEI measured: Culture & Leadership; Enterprise-Wide Access; Employment Practices (Benefits, Recruitment, Employment, Education, Retention & Advancement, Accommodations); Community Engagement; Supplier Diversity; and non-U.S. operations.
“We are so honored by this recognition,” said Giant Eagle Chair and Chief Executive Officer Laura Karet. “Our core value of ‘Respect All’ is important to all of us at Giant Eagle. Being named a best place to work for people who are differently abled motivates us to continue our journey of inclusion for all our Team Members, guests and neighbors.”
“Giant Eagle’s commitment to successfully employ people of all abilities is one of the best parts of our culture,” said Giant Eagle Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity & Diversity Officer Jeremy Shapira. “Our work to be even more inclusive will never be done, but we’re successful because our team has heart. We care about each other and our neighbors, and we firmly believe that everyone deserves respect and equal opportunity to thrive.”
Some of the company’s initiatives highlighted on the DEI benchmark include:
- Dedicated recruiting efforts to attract people who are differently abled
- Disability-focused, employee-led business resource group
- Company-wide employee engagement survey
- 20+ member diversity council
- Company-wide emergency preparedness plans which addresses people who are differently abled
“Disability inclusion is a rapidly expanding aspect of corporate culture, and it’s gratifying to partner with 415 companies on the 2022 Disability Equality Index,” said Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN. “These top-scoring companies not only excel in disability inclusion, many are also adopting emerging trends and pioneering measures that can move the disability agenda from accommodation to inclusion and ultimately, genuine belonging."
A Top Workplace
Meanwhile, TravelCenters of America was honored as a 2022 Top Workplace in Northeast Ohio by cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer. In all, 220 companies were selected for this honor recognition based solely on feedback from team members in a workplace survey conducted earlier this year.
The survey, administered by Energage, measures employee satisfaction and the drivers that achieve high employee retention such as strong organizational values, a clear and promising direction, clued-in leaders, meaningful work and reward and recognition.
“I am humbled and honored by the Top Workplaces recognition, especially knowing it came directly from our team members,” said Jon Pertchik, CEO of TravelCenters of America. “This honor comes at an exciting time for our company—we are celebrating our 50th anniversary and are in the midst of a major company transformation. The current and future success of our company would not be possible without the hard work, dedication and engagement of our team members.”
To celebrate 50 years in the industry, TravelCenters of America is donating $50,000 to charities this year.