GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Meijer was recently named a Gold Level winner of the 2020 Employer Partners of Inclusion Awards in recognition of its ongoing commitment to providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
The award is presented by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), a state agency that empowers Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations, and independence. OOD has recognized Meijer for its inclusive employment efforts each year since 2014 when the agency began recognizing employers with awards.
“This award embodies one of our core values of treating all people with dignity and respect, which makes it such an honor to receive again this year,” Meijer Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Tim Williams said. “We appreciate OOD’s recognition of our efforts toward inclusive employment of people with disabilities as we strive to better serve our communities and continue on our diversity and inclusion journey.”
In order to qualify as a Gold Level Employer Partner of Inclusion, Meijer had to meet the following criteria during the evaluation period of July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020:
- Be an OOD employment partner and hire at least five OOD job seekers
- Participate in a Worksite Accessibility Consultation
- Attend OOD trainings
- Have a formal diversity and inclusion statement that includes people with disabilities
- Have a team member resource group specifically supporting people with disabilities
- Have an equal employment opportunity statement
- Provide information to all team members and new hires regarding diversity and inclusion efforts and resources for employees with disabilities, including reasonable accommodations
Meijer was also named a 2018-20 Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion by the Disability Equality Index recognizing the retailer's efforts to champion a culture of inclusion for people with disabilities across its footprint.
About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @Meijer and @MeijerPR or become a fan at facebook.com/meijer.
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