Paid sabbaticals for long-timers and bonuses for part-timers helped make QuikTrip Corp. one of the nation’s top employers again this year. The convenience store chain ranked 28th in its sixth straight appearance on Fortune magazine’s "100 Best Companies To Work for" list.
"We are honored to receive this award," said Chet Cadieux, president and CEO of the Tulsa, Okla.-based chain. "To us it means we are exceeding the expectations of our employees, so they in turn can exceed the expectations of our customers."
QuikTrip is celebrating its 50th year and opening its 500th store this year. Fortune noted that QuikTrip gives out $1.55 per hour bonuses to part-time employees after one year, plus a 30-day paid sabbatical for those who spend 25 years with the company.
"Nobody really has the time to take that much time off to do things they want to do," said QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh. "You can get away and do something."
Store managers average $59,179 in annual pay, while night assistant managers average $40,189, according to Fortune. QuikTrip also subsidizes gym memberships and recently placed a full-time physician on-site at its Tulsa corporate office. QuikTrip is getting to be a regular on the Fortune list. The magazine ranked it 20th on last year’s list, compared with No. 21 and 19 in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
