Wegmans, Publix, Nugget Included in 2018 Best Workplaces for Women
Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work have ranked Wegmans Food Markets second, Publix Super Markets 29th and Nugget Markets 95th on the list of the 2018 Best Workplaces for Women. The annual ranking of 100 businesses is compiled from anonymous survey feedback from more than 4.5 million U.S. employees.
“Professional development isn’t reserved for management-track employees at Wegmans Food Markets,” noted “Close the Gaps, Open the Potential,” a report based on the survey’s findings. “The company spends more than $50 million each year for department-level training, online courses, cooking technique certifications, internships, leadership development and trips to visit suppliers. The grocer also prioritizes promotion from within. Last year, it filled half of its job openings internally.”
Last year, the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer ranked No. 7 on the list.
“That we are once again on the list of best workplaces for women is something to celebrate,” said Wegmans CEO Colleen Wegman. “We are so proud and grateful that our employees have created a workplace where everyone feels valued and supported.”
Meanwhile, associates at Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix noted in their surveys the supermarket chain’s contributions to the community, employees’ ability to take time off from work when necessary and their pride in their work as reasons that the company was a great place to work. In 2017, Publix ranked 39th.
“The dynamic personalities and talents of our associates and leadership create our spirited culture of family and fun, and by extension, provide our guests an extraordinary grocery experience,” said Eric Stille, president and CEO of Woodland, Calif.-based Nugget, which rose from 95th place last year. "We're proud of our unique and diverse culture, and honored to be ranked among the best in the country.”
The grocer operates 12 Nugget Markets in Northern California; Fork Lift by Nugget Markets in Cameron Park, Calif. (Progressive Grocer's April 2017 Store of the Month); Food 4 Less in Woodland; and Sonoma Market and Glen Ellen Village Market in California's Sonoma Valley.
Other companies to make the list include restaurant chains The Cheesecake Factory Inc. (No. 43) and McDonald’s LLC (No. 45), convenience store operator Sheetz Inc. (No. 54), and CPG company Mars Inc. (No. 60).
“This year, we pledged to close the employee experience gender gap by 2020, and these winning organizations are leading the way in achieving this mission, proving that all companies, regardless of their industry, size, or complexity, can be great workplaces for women,” observed Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, a global people analytics and consulting firm, with offices in Oakland, Calif., and New York, that helps companies produce better business results by focusing on workplace culture.
The Best Workplaces for Women is one of several rankings by Great Place to Work and Fortune based on employee feedback from Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Great Place to Work is also the organization that conducts research and compiles results for Fortune’s annual 100 Best Companies to Work For list, on which both Wegmans and Publix have appeared for 21 consecutive years, while Nugget has made the cut for the past 13 years.
Family-owned Wegmans operates 98 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. Privately owned and operated by its more than 195,000 employees, Publix has 1,202 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The companies are No. 14 and No. 5, respectively, on PG’s 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
