A Note to Our Guests About the Coronavirus

March 12, 2020

We take our responsibility for the well-being of the communities we serve seriously and want to share with you the contingency measures we are taking to keep the communities we serve and our employees safe.

Sodexo has been proactively managing our technical response to COVID-19, weeks before it even appeared in the U.S., based on the experiences of our teams working in health care settings in Wuhan Province China. In parternship with the University’s Business Continuity Plan, the advice of local health authorities and the CDC, we developed a business continuity plan for each of our universities here in the U.S. 

Here are the specific actions we are taking in response to the current situation: 

  • A Universities response team, consisting of subject matter experts from health and food safety, culinary and facilities operations, human resources and supply management, is continuously monitoring the situation and reacting in real time. 
  • We are conducting briefings twice a week with all of our site managers to ensure they have the information and resources they need to safeguard the health and safety of everyone at the site as well as the business continuity at their respective university. 
  • All onsite operations are regularly cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces with a suitable chemical disinfectant. 
  • Our culinary team is developing alternate menus and serving options in the event that there is an impact on our food supply. To be clear, our food supply chain is well stocked and we currently do not expect any food supply chain disruptions. 
  • All employees have been instructed on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we have reinforced our existing food safety and health and wellness policies requiring employees to stay home if they are not feeling well. 
  • We have posted additional communications and in-unit signage on the proper handwashing techniques as well other personal hygiene actions during flu season. 
  • Our supply management team is actively directing product availability for the universities we serve including: 
    • Cleaning chemicals – disinfectants and sanitizers; 
    • Hand soap and sanitizers; and, where necessary, 
    • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – gloves, masks, etc. 
  • We have instituted a travel ban for all non-essential business travel 

In these challenging times, we are even more committed to bringing our mission of Improving the Quality of Life to the communities we serve. The heath and safety of the communities we serve remains our utmost priority. 

We invite you to review this brochure which provides greater detail on our response. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local Sodexo manager.