ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Each week 120 chaplains walk through the food production plants and offices of Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN), where they listen to, encourage and sometimes pray with some of the more 104,000 Team Members employed by the company.
The work of these chaplains and Tyson's commitment to be faith-friendly, have earned the company the 2007 International Spirit at Work Award. Tyson recently received the honor from the International Center for Spirit at Work, a worldwide non-profit organization for people who are integrating spiritual values, such as kindness, compassion and integrity, in the workplace.
Tyson is one of seven organizations that received the award. The others are from the U.S., Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
"Our goal is to transfer the knowledge gained by these pioneering companies into the general business community so that others can learn from their examples and implement these practices within their organizations," said Judi Neal, Ph.D., president and CEO of the International Center for Spirit at Work.
"We're grateful for this international recognition of our efforts in the workplace," said Rod Nagel, senior vice president of Human Resources for Tyson Foods. "Our desire to be a faith-friendly company and to honor God are part of Tyson's Core Values, which shape and direct the way we do business."
The Spirit at Work Awards Selection Committee was "most impressed" with Tyson's Chaplain Services program and "the company's emphasis on providing pastoral care and counseling to anyone regardless of his or her religious or spiritual affiliation."
"We're proud of our chaplaincy program and the positive ways it's touching the lives of our Team Members and their families," said Alan Tyson, director of Chaplain Services for Tyson Foods. "Our chaplains provide a ministry of availability, helping Team Members with personal concerns and issues, such as the loss of a loved one, illness, marital and family concerns or financial problems."
The Awards Selection Committee also recognized Tyson's involvement in Clergy Appreciation Days, the National Day of Prayer and the National Conference on Workplace Chaplaincy. It also noted Tyson's Inclusion & Engagement Speaker Series and its Compassionate Conversations series, which allows Tyson Team Members to share personal stories of life altering change and experiences.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN), founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
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