Staffing

Mod Pizza provides PTO for employee vaccinations, launches anti-recidivism program

Photo: File

March 17, 2021

Mod Pizza is giving employees up to four hours of paid time off to get the COVID-19 vaccine — two hours for each dose received, according to a press release.

"As more of our Squad members become eligible to receive to the vaccine, we hope this benefit will ease the burden of losing hours in order to get inoculated," Marty Pisciotti, Mod Pizza senior vice president of people, said in the release. "The communities we serve are beginning to return to normalcy and we're committed to doing all we can to keep our people, customers, and communities healthy and safe."

MOD Squad members need not be scheduled to work on the day of their vaccine appointment to request vaccine pay. They will simply be asked to provide proof of vaccination to their manager.

The Seattle-based brand has also partnered with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to create employment opportunities and specialized job training for justice-involved young adults. The NRAEF's HOPES Program (Hospitality Opportunities for People (Re)Entering Society) brings businesses, state restaurant associations and community-based organizations together to provide pathways to success for individuals re-entering society, beginning this month at Chicago-area Mod locations. The company plans a nationwide rollout later this year, according to a press release.

Of the 650,000 people who exit the justice system each year, 52% will be reincarcerated within three years if they lack stable employment, the release said. The HOPES program aims to lower recidivism by focusing on job placement, retention and career advancement.

The wrap-around services provided by the program include:

• Personalized case management.
• ServSafe educational support/certificate.
• Legal support.
• Health services.
• Mental health counseling.
• Educational support to complete high school degree.
• Temporary housing assistance.
• Transportation assistance.
• Substance abuse counseling.

"Ten years ago, when Mod opened their second store in Seattle, they gave me a second chance," Kory Harp, program manager of opportunity employment, Mod Pizza, said in the release. "As someone who has personally navigated this journey, I recognize that a job is just the beginning. This partnership gives us the tools we need to help ensure more employees succeed."

MOD practices opportunity employment across its entire system, providing jobs to individuals who face barriers, including opportunity youth (18-24 year-olds not working or in school), individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and those previously justice-involved. It is one of the many ways MOD works to makes a positive social impact in the communities it serves and help contribute to a world that works for and includes everyone.

Mod Pizza has more than 490 locations system-wide.