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Out in the Workplace: What it Means to be Your Whole Self at Aramark

With Christopher Stearns and Jasmine Hopkins

At Aramark, we’re proud to create a workplace where our employees are comfortable to be their most authentic selves. As part of our Be Well. Do Well. ESG plan, we are committed to enabling equitable outcomes for people, including our employees, customers, and communities we serve.  

 

Whether through employee resource groups or Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) strategies, we are working each day to build a strong company culture that respects and puts our people first.  

 

Recently, Aramark launched myWholeSelf, our first voluntary and confidential self-identification (self-ID) campaign. Self-ID allows current employees to disclose their diverse identity in the workplace, including gender, age, race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, veteran status, or disability status. With more than one in twenty private and public sector workers in the U.S. identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, it is important for Aramark to acknowledge and show our organizational allyship and support. 

 

According to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, two in three LGBTQ+ people believe that supportive companies can change the lives of their LGBTQ+ employees. Inclusive self-ID is just one way in which an employer can do this. With a better understanding of how our employees identify, Aramark can better serve our diverse employees and provide pathways to success for all individuals. This also fosters a welcoming and safe workplace environment filled with dignity, respect, and inclusion.  

Christopher Stearns – Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, Legal

Christopher (he/him) joined Aramark’s legal department after a few years of private legal practice with an international law firm. He was looking for a large, in-house legal department where he would be supported in his personal and professional goals. Christopher co-founded our PRIDE employee resource group in 2009 and served as its co-chair for several years following its official launch in 2012.  

Meet Christopher Stearns

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Following your decision to voluntarily and confidentially self-disclose at Aramark, what made you decide to share how you identify with your coworkers? 

When I came out during law school, I committed to making that process easier and more comfortable for others, as I believe strongly, we should all be our whole selves, including in the workplace. I am supportive of this Self-ID initiative for those reasons and because it is another step towards creating an affirming and inclusive culture necessary to attract and retain the best talent. 

 

What advice would you offer to someone who may be hesitant to Self-ID at work?  

I have always been rewarded by my decision to be “out” at work. I proudly display photos of my husband and daughter on my desk. I was excited to share my engagement, marriage, and adoption with my colleagues. I needed their support when my husband battled bone cancer. In addition, I’m grateful that I can devote my energy to my day-to-day work, rather than hiding my sexual orientation! I am proud to say that my Aramark family has always been incredibly supportive. 

Immediate Openings

Self-ID is crucial to informing DEI work. With the support of our board and executive leadership team, we’re proud to take steps to advance self-ID options to support LGBTQ+ employees and applicants. Valuing our more than 200,000 employees around the world, supporting communities, and partnering with our diverse suppliers are not just part of an obligation, they are engrained in our values.

— Fenimore Fisher, Vice President, Aramark Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Jasmine Hopkins – Premium Suites Operations Manager, Sports + Entertainment

Jasmine (she/her) found her way to Aramark as a referral of a fellow co-worker and has quickly risen in rank at an Aramark Sports + Entertainment operation in Maryland. She joined with the intention of having a flexible job in the sports and entertainment industry, but after a promotion from an hourly role to a managerial position, Jasmine has made a career out of doing what she loves in an environment where she can empower her peers.  

 

What does it mean to you to be “out” at work? 

I think being “out” at work means being comfortable enough to share your story if you so choose. I don’t believe that being “out” at work is restricted to being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It is about being able to show up day after day being you and all that you bring to the table. There is great power in being a living testimony to whatever you have learned and experienced along the way. Sharing is how we learn and grow! 

 

Why do you believe it’s important to self-ID in the workplace? 

I believe it is important to Self-ID in the workplace so Aramark can capture true employee diversity information which can have a direct impact on the initiatives and investments they choose to make in relation to diversity and inclusion. The data obtained can be used to leverage accommodations to enhance work performance, inclusion, benefits, promotions, total compensation, and more. 

 

Following your decision to voluntarily and confidentially self-disclose at Aramark, what made you decide to share how you identify with your coworkers?

My decision to self-ID in the workplace is two-fold. Initially, it was about walking in my truth and being proud of the “total” person I am, and how I can positively impact the spaces that I find myself in. My other motivation is greatly rooted in empowering my peers and staff to have a safe place to show-up and be their whole, true selves without judgement. I want to be that example that allows others to be comfortable and enjoy where they spend most of their time away from their loved ones. 

Jasmine Hopkins

Aramark Careers serves communities across multiple states. Candidates can search for jobs by city, state, or region using the job search tool.