No more long and difficult commute for Shakey’s store employees

As part of business continuity initiatives amid the prolonged pandemic, leading pizza chain operator Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. has reshuffled its store workforce to bring employees closer to their place of work and limit their commuting time to no more than 30 minutes.

With the implementation of this initiative called “Project Nerdy: Near and Ready,” seven out of 10 Shakey’s store employees now spend just 30 minutes or less traveling to their respective store outlets, providing them greater ease, safety and convenience.

“Our people’s safety and well-being are of utmost importance to us. We recognize that long commutes are a major discomfort and a huge expense item for our employees, and now with the ongoing pandemic, these are not just inconvenient but potentially unsafe as well,” Shakey’s president and CEO Vicente Gregorio said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Friday.

Since June 2020, more than 100 employees have been relocated to store outlets that are closer to their homes. These transfers effectively reduced their average travel time by 20 percent.

The program is seen important amid multiple force majeure circumstances that have hit the country since last year, from volcanic eruptions to a public health crisis.

Rashidi Forteza, one of the store managers at Shakey’s Pizza’s Aseana branch, is one of those who have benefitted from the reshuffling program.

“I used to work at Shakey’s Commonwealth in Quezon City, a two-hour bus ride from Pasay where I live. While it was difficult for me, I enjoyed working there because it was my first Shakey’s store,” Forteza said.

“Because of Project Nerdy, I was reassigned to an outlet closer to my home. Now, I spend only 30 minutes on the road, sometimes less. I am even able to walk home. That’s my form of exercise. I get to spend more time with my family and rest longer. Less traffic, less stress,” he continued.

The Po family-led company noted that creating a safe and healthy work environment for its employees was a cornerstone of its sustainability strategy, which also incorporates programs to manage resources, reduce environmental footprint and develop healthier product innovations.

—Doris Dumlao-Abadilla