Republic Services launches $20M initiative to support frontline workers, small businesses

Republic Services Inc., Phoenix, announced the launch of its Committed to Serve initiative April 16. Through the initiative, the company is committing $20 million to support frontline employees and their families, as well as its small-business customers.

The initiative includes benefits designed to support Republic Services' employees, customers and local communities. Key elements over the next two months include a weekly meal for all frontline employees, weekly dinner for frontline employees and their families and biweekly $100 gift cards to all frontline employees (or $400 per employee in total). All meals will be purchased from local small businesses to help support the company's customers and the communities it serves, the company says. Additionally, Republic Services will donate $3 million to the Republic Services Charitable Foundation to fund its long-term nonprofit partners that operate locally and serve local communities and small businesses.

"Our frontline employees are doing an exceptional job taking care of our customers and communities. We're launching our $20 million Committed to Serve initiative to recognize our 28,000 frontline employees in the field serving our customers every day, while also helping to support our small-business customers across the nation. This initiative is targeted economic stimulus at the local level, designed to benefit our small-business customers as well as our employees, our company and our country," Donald Slager, CEO of Republic, says. "Republic Services has a stable, predictable and resilient business model, and through prudent planning and hard work, we are well-positioned to manage through this crisis, including providing stability to our employees and customers."

"We are proud to be a leader in our industry, and that means leading by example. Our first steps included safeguarding the health and well-being of our people and expanding benefits for all our employees," Jon Vander Ark, president of Republic, says. "We are now taking additional steps to honor the hard work and dedication of our frontline employees who are showing up day after day during this unprecedented time to serve our communities. We are excited to show our appreciation for our frontline team members while also helping to support our small-business customers when they need it most."

The company says it is taking enhanced measures to help ensure the well-being of its employees and communities in addition to closely following guidance from the CDC, and state and local public health agencies during the COVID-19 crisis. The company says it is also continuing to work closely with public health experts and other advisors to adhere to Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines regarding the safe handling of waste and recycling.