A safety-minded, healthy employee base is an efficient, productive and satisfied workforce. Just as we invest to provide a safe work environment for our employees, we also invest in programs and education that enable our employees to achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles. Our wellness programs include The Chocolatetown Challenge, “The Old Switcharoo” (a nutritional program), and a walk-to-run 5K clinic.

Workplace Safety

In 2010, we continued to achieve top-tier safety performance, placing Hershey in the top 25% of our peer group, as measured by our Total Recordable Incident Rate and Lost Workday Incident Rate.

There were no work-related fatalities at any Hershey facility in 2010; Hershey has not had an employee work-related fatality in the past 25 years.

The Chocolatetown Challenge

The Chocolatetown Challenge is a fitness and wellness challenge designed to promote health, camaraderie and friendly competition among the employees, retirees and families of seven companies within the Hershey, Pennsylvania community. The Hershey Company and many of its employees participate in the challenge, which has taken place annually since 2008. This year’s event included a 5k race and 1 mile fun/run walk, physical fitness activities and a health fair.

“The Old Switcharoo”

“The Old Switcharoo” is one of our many employee wellness challenges that happen every year, and is designed to shift employee’s focus away from big lifestyle changes that may be overwhelming to smaller, everyday changes. Participants swap a less healthy habit like watching television for a healthier habit like walking 10 minutes. Each “Switcheroo” was designed to be simple and easy to achieve. The goal is for our employees, retirees and their families to feel confident in their ability to improve their health habits and continue down the road to better health and wellness.

Some of our other latest global employee campaigns and initiatives include:

• - “WaterWorks,” a challenge that provides practical advice and educational resources to help participants understand how much water they need and how they can get hydration from other sources.
• - “Spring into Fitness,” a wellness initiative to jumpstart fitness for the spring and summer months.
• - “Get Fit on Route 66,” a program that makes getting fit fun as participants trace the famous route of the legendary highway by tracking the amount of time they spend exercising.

Walk-to-Run 5K Clinic

Our Fitness Center offers a walk-to-run 5K clinic for employees who are considering entering a 5K race but don’t know how to properly train. Our Fitness Center staff offers guidance, motivation and training during the clinics every Tuesday and Thursday over lunchtime. An online version of the program is available for our employees across the country and world who are not able to be at the Fitness Center.

Hershey’s expansion has brought an increase in the diversity of our workforce. As a global company, we understand that the dynamic diversity of thought, perspectives and backgrounds represented by our employees is a source of energy, creativity and innovative problem-solving. We want to attract, develop and engage individuals who have a diverse range of experiences and perspectives. We do this at The Hershey Company through our Affinity Groups and annual “Inclusion Day” in addition to other programming.

Affinity Groups

We have seven Affinity Groups that help foster an open and diverse work community. The groups are culturally centered, life stage oriented and personally and professionally specific.

• - Asian Affinity Group
• - African American Affinity Group
• - Hispanic Affinity Group
• - Network of Young Professionals
• - PRISM (GLBT Affinity Group)
• - Sales Diversity Council
• - The Women’s Council

Affinity Group Profile: The Women’s Council

Guided by The Hershey Company Values, Hershey’s Women’s Council provides employees with opportunities to get connected, feel empowered, and grow professionally and personally; delivering positive benefits for the company which will enhance the retention and advancement of women.

One of the accomplishments The Women’s Council is most proud of is the addition of mother’s lounges to most Hershey, Pennsylvania office buildings for mothers who have returned to work but are still nursing. The lounge project was initiated by The Women’s Council in an effort to help women with the work/life balance and transition. The Hershey Company received a Breastfeeding Friendly Business Award from the Pennsylvania State Department of Health in recognition of the mother’s lounges.

In 2006, The Women’s Council created an internal mentoring program that matches protégés with mentors to help employees develop and achieve career and personal growth goals. In its first year, 83 mentor-protégé pairs participated in the program. In 2010, participation grew by 40%, and much of that growth came with the expansion of the program to the U.S. field sales force.

Today, global employees participate in the mentoring program through a commitment of at least one year. The Women’s Council, along with the other Affinity Groups, matches pairs and provides them with resources to help develop their mentoring relationship.

“Inclusion Day”

This annual event is held in Hershey, Pennsylvania and United States manufacturing locations. Employees, as well as their families and friends, celebrate the diversity of our workforce and our local communities. We have been hosting this event for seven years. The Affinity Groups, along with our Hershey’s United Way and Children’s Miracle Network teams, have informational booths. The day also includes ethnic foods, music and cultural dance performances.

Here at The Hershey Company, we like to give our employees more than a paycheck. We strive to engage them in the company so that they feel they are gaining personally and professionally from working here. Two of our flagship programs that help engage our employees year-round in corporate social responsibility activities are our CSR Sales Advocates and the CSR Network.

Corporate Social Responsibility Sales Advocates

The CSR Sales Advocates team is dedicated to honoring our company’s heritage by making a positive difference in our local communities. They help bring Hershey values and traditions into communities across the United States and Canada by engaging with field personnel, organizing volunteer and service opportunities and sharing their CSR successes with the entire Hershey team. There are 55 CSR Sales Advocates across the United States and Canada.

All of the CSR Sales Advocates are planning, organizing and participating in unique volunteer opportunities, and recently the San Diego and Los Angeles sales teams joined together to volunteer on the beach at the They Will Surf Again event put on by the Life Rolls On Foundation. The event used a surfing experience to push the boundary of possibility for kids with spinal cord injuries. It was an inspirational event showing that anything is possible. Seven volunteers were paired with each surfer.

Corporate Social Responsibility Network

The CSR Network is a group of cross-functional, global employees who are interested in or passionate about CSR. Members plan, organize and participate in CSR activities and events of interest that drive positive change within the organization and support our values. Any employee across the company is welcome and encouraged to join the group. Their passion for CSR has shown through in their creative programming and quick mobilization in supporting local causes.

To date, the CSR Network has:

• - Initiated a program on commuter services
• - Established the company’s page on Freecyle @ Work
• - Organized a recycle event analyzing employee participation in corporate recycling efforts
• - Mobilized donations to a food bank in need