Safeway Diversity Case Study

Safeway’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and thoughtful people practices is a core element of the company's philosophy, ensuring that their employees reflect the diverse communities they serve. Companies with a reputation for providing opportunities for diverse employees will have a competitive advantage in the labor market, and diversity is not a corporate initiative, it’s a living attitude deeply embedded in the Safeway culture, giving Safeway that competitive advantage. Their view of diversity is all-inclusive and covers the many ways their employees are different — including gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age and disability. Safeway employs nearly 186,000 people across 22 states and Western Canada, 10,000 of those employees are people with disabilities. Safeway’s has established network groups for Women, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and the Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Alliance, Cancer
This talented employee population gives Safeway greater knowledge of the preferences and habits of such a diversified marketplace, so they may develop marketing campaigns, design their stores better and provide the products consumers want to meet the needs of their consumers. Any company that employs such a diverse population will face challenges with their workforce. Safeway has Diversity Resource Boards and sponsors seven networking groups at our Corporate Offices, with chapters in various Division locations. The Network Groups focus on issues related to Women, African American, and Asian, LGBT and Hispanic individuals, single moms and our corporate social responsibility group. These Network Groups are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and providing members with opportunities for personal, professional and organizational