The International Day of Persons with Disabilities

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a United Nations Day that is celebrated every year in December. Each individual's unique background, experience, and abilities are at the heart of our vibrant workforce and truly reflect the communities we serve.

In Sodexo, we strive to build a diverse and inclusive culture where our employees feel valued and respected as individuals.   

Meet Wee Xiong! 

Wee Xiong works as a Kitchen Assistant in our Micro Production Kitchen. His daily roles include the preparation of food and ensuring all working areas are kept clean and tidy.  

Beyond his job scope, Wee Xiong serves as a “Happiness Ambassador”, he goes around cheering his teammates on and bringing pockets of joy into the workplace. While certain work tasks can be challenging with Wee Xiong being on the autism spectrum, his positivity and can-do attitude make him a vital member of the team. Wee Xiong’s bubbly personality brings joy and encouragement for his teammates.  

As an Organisation 

Sodexo is a member of “The Valuable 500”, an international initiative that strives to put disability on the business leadership agenda to unlock the business, social and economic value of people living with disabilities around the world. 

At Sodexo, we strive to have  100% of our 420,000-employee workforce to have access to initiatives supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities by 2025. This means that in each country where we operate, we will have: 

• A non-discrimination policy regarding people with disabilities 

• Communications to support the inclusion of people with disabilities 

• An established disability champion responsible for the roll-out of initiatives. 

And just like all other aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion at Sodexo, disability inclusion is considered a strategic imperative and progress is driven by a global taskforce of employee representatives and sponsored by two members of our global executive committee. In other words, disability inclusion is firmly on the leadership agenda. 

Why it Matters to Us 

Organizations are at their best when they welcome, respect and include people of all backgrounds – and this includes people with disabilities. 1-in-5 people around the world have a learning, mental health, physical, sensory or other disability. People can be born with a disability, or acquire one due to an accident, aging or illness. People with disabilities want to be included. At Sodexo, we celebrate people with disabilities and create a workplace where they belong. 

Find out more about our Corporate Social Responsibility efforts here!