This Marco’s franchisee in Florida shows how much she cares by organizing a donated car for one worker in need
Labor retention is a headache these days. But it doesn’t have to be, when you consistently show your workers how much you value them. That was certainly the case at one Marco’s Pizza franchise in Deltona, Florida, where a worker was struggling to get to his job every day.
For seven months, WKMG ClickOrlando reported, Seminole State College junior Tyreek Thyme had no consistent transportation. He was shelling out a large portion of his paycheck on Uber rides to get there, but he never gave up. One day, franchisee Tiffany Beres stepped in. Here’s what ClickOrlando wrote, in part:
Thyme estimated he spent about $200 a month on transportation costs.
When Beres heard that, the alarms went off.
“This is a kid who never said anything to anybody about not having a ride,” Beres said. “He never even asked. Nobody is more deserving than Tyreek.”
Over the course of the last four months, the business helped raise money to get Thyme his own car.
“We just jumped on it,” Beres said. “All of the small businesses instantly just said, ‘I’ll donate. I’ll donate money and gift baskets to raffle off.'”
Ashley Downsbrough, an employee at a nearby Marco’s Pizza, even donated her old Ford Mustang.
“Knowing I can help someone out with it means a lot,” Downsbrough said. “I’m so happy it’s back on the road.”
The car did require several weeks worth of work to get it running again.
“We had to put in a lot of work including the transmission, a new battery and a new ignition,” Beres said.
Now Thyme gets around very easily. His new ride comes with a lot of freedom, he said.
A strong company culture
Not every employee gets a car, of course, but Marco’s does strive to create a strong culture at all of our pizza franchises. We believe that tone is set at the top and reinforced throughout the company.
At a time of historic low unemployment, cultivating an atmosphere that values employees in every position makes a big difference. Recruiters and human resources experts agree: The way you treat your workers makes a difference. Yes, pay rates and benefits matter. But consistently demonstrating that you value your worker and investing in a company culture that supports workers go a long, long way.
We at Marco’s are proud to have such dedicated workers as Thyme and honored to have hard-working franchisees like Beres who understand how much that matters.
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