Wakefern ShopRite HR • Volume Three, Number Two

T H E H U M A N R E S O U R C E

Connection

We are partners in caring for our neighbors’ families, homes and communities.

The Retail HR Committee and the

Wakefern HR Department

accomplished many things in 2006.

One of our greatest achievements

was gaining the recognition by

ShopRite Members of the

importance of having an HR

professional working in each store.

This “portal” to our store Associates

will be a substantial factor in our

success in expanding our Associates’

customer job performance skills.

The Deploy Hiring Kiosk software

was upgraded significantly to better

assess our job candidates and reduce

the time required to apply for work.

We developed and executed a retail

program for Bring Your Child to

Work Day. The Young Consumers

Program was successfully executed

by 5 New Members in 3 stores and 8

schools. The JARS system was

developed and piloted, with a

substantial rollout program planned

for January 2007. Our emphasis on

retail job postings and talent

sharing resulted in a number of

Wakefern recruits coming from the

stores.

The Year in ReviewBy Bob Clare, Chairman

Retail Human Resources Committee

2006 also marked our second

enterprise-wide Associate Satisfaction

Survey. We created six additional

Basic Skills training products and

updated many others. We have Spanish

versions now for nearly all of these

products. We also renewed our

commitment to our training and

recruiting partners in the Welfare to

Work and Supermarket Careers

programs throughout our trading area.

Our New Partners In

Training program in

Delaware has yielded us

36 Associates working in

3 stores.

Looking ahead, I am

encouraged and excited

by the things we have

done and the direction we are

taking. Our strategic planning

governance has focused us on the

basics of recruiting, training,

developing, and retaining great

Associates. Our commitment to

increasing our competitive advantage

by having well-trained, information-

rich Associates is quite significant.

The professionalism and talent within

our committee is wonderful and

makes my job so easy. I applaud

everyone’s participation, including

those attending in person and those

who attend via live meetings.

By the way, I believe I speak for

everyone when I say that we are

thankful for the healthy return of

Phil Solomon.

“Thank you all for your hard work and

commitment to Wakefern/Shop Rite.”

We are partners in caring for our neighbors’ families, homes and communities.2

ShopRite Partners In Caring continueda holiday tradition that dates back to thevery first Thanksgiving, 285 years ago:neighbors sharing with neighbors.

This program that helps fight hunger incommunities donated 30 tons of turkeysto food banks and other charitiesthroughout New York, NewJersey, Connecticut,Delaware andPennsylvania. ShopRite trucks made thefirst delivery of turkeys to theCommunity FoodBank of New Jersey inHillside on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Turkeyswere distributed to through the foodbank network in time for Thanksgiving.

“Hunger is a year-round problem formany of our neighbors in thecommunities we serve, and ShopRitePartners In Caring works to help themthroughout the year,” said Karen Meleta,spokeswoman for ShopRite Partners InCaring. “But the holidays are especiallytough for those experiencing difficultiesin their lives, and being able to helpthem enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving

dinner is something all of us at ShopRiteare thankful for.”

Kathleen DiChiara, executive director ofthe Community Food Bank of NewJersey, said the need for food support isgreater than ever this year. “We anticipatea very high demand for assistance thiscoming holiday season, and have beenworking to secure additionalcontributions to make sure we’re able tomeet the rising need,” DiChiara said.“ShopRite Partners In Caring’s generousdonation is a major part of our ability tohelp those who are relying on oursupport.”

(continued on next page)

ShopRite Partners In CaringDonates 30 Tons of Turkeys

By Karen MeletaDirector, Corporate Communications

Annual Thanksgiving donation to aid food banks infive-state region served by ShopRite stores

Two years ago, the Board of Directors

determined that every other year our

Associates will participate in the Retail

Survey. On the off-year, each Member

would have the option whether or not to

administer the survey.

While the results from the

company-wide Associate survey in

2004 were very positive, the

Membership was challenged this year

to increase Associate participation in

the survey and to collectively work on

improving company communications,

one of the lower-scoring areas in the

previous survey. Members were also

asked to keep the action planning

process going in their stores. History has

proved that Associate Satisfaction must

be an ongoing process and not a once-a-

year activity.

The 2006 results will be delivered to

the Members in mid-January 2007.

Members will receive the full reports

which include Associate and Customer

survey results, along with the verbatim

comments.

It is critical that all the results of the

surveys are shared with our Associates.

They will expect to review and begin

action planning based on the results.

As in previous years, the Associate and

Customer Satisfaction teams will

2006 Retail AssociateSatisfaction Survey

By Kyle Ledford, Retail Survey and Competency Counselor

schedule meetings with Membership to

review your company-specific results.

Regional follow-up sessions will

commence in March, 2007. At

that time, we will review

the cooperative results

and help develop

cooperative-wide

actions plans to

continue to improve

the working

environment and overall satisfaction of our

Associates.

Stay tuned for future updates via e-mail

and through the Retail Human Resources

and Customer Satisfaction Committees.

If you wish to discuss Associate Satisfaction

within your company or store, feel free to

contact me at 732.906.5202 or

kyle.ledford@wakefern.com.

This past October and for the second time in ShopRite’s history,

all of our Retail Associates had the opportunity to participate in

the Retail Associate Satisfaction Survey.

We are partners in caring for our neighbors’ families, homes and communities.3

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI)presented the 2006 Maximizing PeoplePotential Award (“MAXX Award”) toWakefern Food Corporation for thecompany’s innovative community-based“Partners in Training” program.

FMI presents the MAXX Awardannually to a retailer or wholesaler thatdevelops an important initiative toimprove the performance of employeesor leads to achievement of a key businessgoal. This year, the award was presentedto Marty Glass, senior manager, HumanResources, Wakefern, at FMI’s HumanResources/Training & DevelopmentConference in Montreal, Canada.

Award submissions are judged on fourcategories: workplace learning andperformance, return on investment,involvement of companyleaders and originality.Along with Wakefern,the four finalistsincluded Hy-Vee, Inc.,Bi-Lo/Bruno’s, LLC, andSupervalu, Inc.Conference attendeesvoted and chose“Partners in Training” asthe outstandingprogram!

“This programdemonstrates how FMImembers are working totrain employees and servethe communities in

which they do business. Wakefern’sprogram shows how successfulpublic/private partnerships have the abilityto change lives,” said Kimberly Roberts,senior manager, education programs, FMI.

“Partners in Training” was established in2000 and has over 100 graduates employedby 15 ShopRite supermarkets, with a 76percent retention rate among participants!The training programs operate in Newarkand Stratford, N.J. and Wilmington, Del.The partnership in Newark is with NewCommunity Corp. and the partnerships inStratford and Wilmington are withGoodwill Industries. Wakefern hopes toexpand this successful program bypartnering with ABO Haven, Inc. andopening an additional site in Philadelphianext year!

Wakefern Food Corporation Wins FMI’s 2006“Maximizing People Potential” Award

By Lisa Day, Wakefern Human Resources Administrator

(L to R): Dean Janeway - President & COO, Wakefern FoodCorp., Marty Glass - Sr. Manager, Human Resources, WakefernFood Corp., Ted Van Name - President, Goodwill Industries ofDelaware and Delaware County, Ernie Bell - Vice PresidentHuman Resources & Corporate Planning, Wakefern Food Corp.,Joseph Colalillo - Chairman & CEO, Wakefern Food Corp., ChrisKenny, Esquire - General Counsel & Director of HumanResources, The Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware

Photo taken at the official grand opening celebration of theDelaware Partners in Training site on June 22, 2006

(continued from page 2)

Food banks receiving turkey donationsfrom ShopRite Partners In Caring were:The Community FoodBank of NewJersey, Hillside; The Mercer StreetFriends, Trenton, N.J.; NORWESCAPFood Bank, Phillipsburg, N.J.; FoodBank of Monmouth and OceanCounties, Neptune, N.J.; TheCommunity FoodBank (SouthernBranch), Egg Harbor, N.J.; Food Bank ofSouth Jersey, Pennsauken, N.J.; FoodShare, Windsor, Conn.; ConnecticutFood Bank, East Haven; Food Bank ofHudson Valley, Cornwall-on-Hudson,N.Y.; Long Island Cares, Hauppauge,N.Y.; Food Patch, Millwood, N.Y.; FoodBank for NYC, Bronx, N.Y.;Philabundance, Philadelphia, Pa; 2ndHarvest of Lehigh Valley and NEPA,Allentown, Pa.; and Food Bank ofDelaware, Newark.

ShopRite Partners In Caring is a year-round, community-based, hunger-fighting initiative that works with morethan 70 food industry manufacturers toprovide $2 million annually to qualifiedcharitable agencies in New York, NewJersey, Connecticut, Delaware,Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and RhodeIsland. Since its inception in 1999,ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated$13 million to more than 1,100 charities.ShopRite Partners In Caring supportsemergency food pantries, soup kitchens,homeless shelters, child care centers,battered women's shelters, senior citizenprograms, drug rehab centers, programsfor the mentally and physically disabled,after-school programs and otherorganizations that aid those in need.

We are partners in caring for our neighbors’ families, homes and communities.4

My first job after graduate school wasworking for the federal government in theOffice of Personnel Management (OPM).A few months into the job, a woman airtraffic controller sued her boss and co-workers in the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) for creating anoffensive, intimidating and hostile workenvironment at the tune of $1 million.She alleged that they sent pornographicphotos across the screen of her computerwhile she was monitoring the safety ofairplanes in flight and during landings.OPM mandated sexual harassmenttraining for all supervisors and managersin the FAA and I designed and conductedthe first-ever sexual harassment trainingfor federal employees. That was in the1980s. Fast forward twenty years and theworkplace is still rampant with sexualharassment claims and lawsuits.

On January 9, 2006, the largest sexualharassment lawsuit ever, at $1 billion, wasfiled in Manhattan against DresdnerKlienwort Wasserstein Services, theAmerican branch of Dresdner Bank ofGermany. The complaint cites lewdbehavior toward women, entertainment ofclients at a strip club, and examples ofreduced opportunities for women whoreturned to the job after maternity leave.This suit makes it clear that sexualharassment occurs in all types ofcompanies and at all levels of business.

Sexual harassment in the workplacepresents an ongoing and growing risk tobusinesses operating in the United States.From a purely business perspective, anorganization stands to gain if it acts

proactively. Not only is itthe right thing to

do, it is the smart thing to do. Here are fivetips for eliminating sexual harassment inthe workplace.

1. Act before a problem occurs. Failureto adopt a proactive and aggressivestance on sexual harassment in theworkplace can result not only in costlylawsuits (averaging $250,000 notincluding legal fees), but also in loss ofemployee morale, decline inproductivity, and an erosion of anorganization's public image. It is muchless expensive to implement sexualharassment policies and training than itis to be involved in one sexualharassment lawsuit.

2. Implement policies. 2005 brought twohigh-profile cases involving womenwho were deemed "too sexy" for theirjobs. Harvard librarian DesireeGoodwin, who holds two advanceddegrees from Cornell University,charged that she was passed over forpromotion 16 times because of herattire and physical attractiveness.Meanwhile, Caterina Bonci, a RomanCatholic religion teacher, said she wasfired from her job at a state-run schoolfor being too sexy. Include sexualharassment, discrimination and dresscode policies in your employee manual.

Ignoring Sexual Harassment Just Got More Expensive: 5 Tips To Prevent LawsuitsBy Judith Lindenberger, Principal, The Lindenberger Group

Copyright © 2006 by The Lindenberger Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

On October 28, the Colligas Family ShopRite in Philadelphia threw a block partycelebrating the completion of a mural on its wall. It was a big community eventcomplete with mummers, pumpkin painting, food, music, dancing, characters, andfestivities. Earlier, folks inthe neighborhood wereinvited to vote on themural that they would liketo see in their community.There were a total of 1,700votes!

The winning mural, byartist Jim Burns, representsthe culture, history andcommunity spirit of SouthPhilly. The mural is

sponsored by ColligasFamily ShopRite, Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and The Goldenberg Group(building owner). Our event was the Mural Arts Program's first stop on a mural tour

of the city. It can be seen from I-95!

3. Educate employees. The SupremeCourt has made it clear that trainingemployees about sexualharassment is one of the ways toprotect your organization in alawsuit. Educate employees aboutcompany policies, train supervisorsto deal with complaints, and provideall employees with clear examplesof inappropriate behavior.

4. Make it safe to voice complaints.Provide a reporting system andmake all employees aware of it.The law prohibits employers fromretaliating against an individual forfiling or supporting charges ofdiscrimination. Train leaders howto listen and respond appropriatelyto discrimination complaints.

5. Hold leaders accountable tomodel your company values.When leaders fail to live up to yourorganization values, employeesbecome de-motivated and angry.Provide ongoing training, coachingand review of your leaders.

The Lindenberger Group providesconsulting and training (classroom andonline) on compliance training, human

resources and leadership.

Philly Block Party