The North American sweet snacks giant rewarded nearly 2,000 bakery and distribution centre employees for their hard work to get products out during the pandemic.
Staff at Hostess Brands’ five plants in Chicago, Kansas, Indianapolis, Georgia and Ontario each received a bonus of up to $750 for maintaining production of its popular snacks like Donettes, Twinkies and CupCakes, despite COVID-19 challenges.
The appetite of Americans for snacks soared during the pandemic, especially as consumers reverted to familiar sweet treats for a moment of comfort and indulgence.
Impressive record
According to the company, its ‘people-first, safety every day’ mindset meant its total recordable incident rate in 2021 was more than 75% better than the US Department of Labour Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s industry average.
The ethos places emphasis on employee training and continuous improvement in workplace safety. Its bakeries are also fitting with best-in-class air filtration systems to ensure employees health, and are rated A or AA under the global quality and food safety audit standard by the British Retail Consortium.
“We’re extremely proud of our frontline team at Hostess,” said Andy Callahan, president and CEO of Hostess Brands.
“They have shown tremendous commitment, passion, strength and resilience in these challenging times.
“Their efforts help ensure that our beloved brands continue to be available to spark moments of joy when people need them, and they have done so while achieving a record for workplace safety in 2021.”