[Vision2020] Is Walmart the only company that's wrong about healthcare?

[Kai Eiselein]

An emphatic "NO"
Sodexho USA, a subsidary of the multi-national, French owned company Sodexho 
is the food service provider on the UI campus. I was an employee for six 
years and can tell you from experience Sodexho is far worse than anything 
I've heard about Walmart.
For instance:
Each year the company has a insurance enrollment period, pretty standard, 
but if you had, say Group Health, you would find that Group Health wasn't 
offered the next year, forcing you into another plan. Group Health would be 
offered the year after; at a much higher cost, of course. I found thatout 
the hard way.
Strangely, the insurance premiums went up an amount equal to or more than 
any yearly pay increase. When I left the company, I was in a supervisory 
position. My take home pay was LESS than what it was 2 months after I 
started, despite earning well over the $6.50/hr average starting wage the 
company offers.
At least three fulltime employees that I knew had to collect food stamps in 
order to help feed their familes. Another employee, with ten years of 
service, was earning less than $7 an hour.
With on the job injuries, Sodexho falls short. If an employee is injured, 
that employee must have a release signed by a member of management before 
seeking medical attention.
If a member of management was not available, the injured party had to wait 
until a manager was summoned from somewhere on campus or at home before 
seeking treatment. If the employee seeks medical aatention without 
management consent, that employee can be terminated.
Management's oft repeated phrase to injured employees? "Wait and see how it 
feels in the morning."
My own experiece was like this; I fell and landed on my right arm...hours 
later, after finally getting permission and being told "Wait and see how it 
feels."...I went to Gritman and the result? I had a broken arm.
In contrast I tore a ligament in my right knee while employed by the U of I, 
I was told to go to the hospital immediately. Both entities are 
self-insured, but Sodexho has little to no regard for its employees. But 
Sodexho sells "Fair Trade" coffee. Whoopee.
Just to make the record clear, I was not fired, laid off or forced to resign 
from Sodexho. I gave 2 months notice. I also knew I wwould not adavnce any 
further within the company because of, as one ex-manager said on his way out 
the door,after being fired "Your mouth is going to get you in trouble."
Maybe that was true, I was willing to speak up for those who were afraid to 
and I walked out with my head up.