Sterling drops $100,000 to give gas cards to all employees
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – From employees to employers in totay’s work world, you don’t have to tell anyone that hard working Americans are cash strapped from runaway inflation and gas prices.
Dawn Cazedessus, CEO for Sterling Surgical Hospital in Slidell, and Kevin Schneider, Chairman of the Board for Sterling, understand it all too well.
But even with businesses having their own issues from fuel costs and rising supply prices—something Cazedessus said that Sterling is seeing every day with their own business expenses—the leadership at Sterling decided to show their employees how much they think about them and did so by surprising all 85 employees with a stunning announcement in the main lobby on Tuesday.
“We’re giving all the employees gas cards from now until the end of the year to help with the high cost of gas coming to and from work,” said Cazedessus as the crowd broke into cheers and applause.
The company will be spending approximately $100,000 to cover the cost for all full-time and part-time employees. Those who are full time will get $200 per month from now until the end of 2022, while part-time employees will get $100 a month from now until December.
“This is a blessing from the Lord,” an ecstatic five-year housekeeping worker Kenneth Baker said.
“It really helps a lot because these high prices are so bad,” said four-year employee Sametra Bickham.
The idea to provide extra gas money came about in recent months as Cazedessus said her daily conversations with employees continually worked their way to inflation and gas prices.
“All these high prices, both groceries and gas, are nickel-and-diming everyone to death,” said Cazedessus. “Finally, I thought we needed to see what we could do, and when I talked to Kevin about it, he said the company was all on board.”
The Sterling CEO said they wanted to do something extra for their employees to back up a motto they continually promote: “We are a family.”
“And if you have a family member who is having a hard time then you lock arms and try to help,” she said to her workers. “This removes any extra burden from coming to work every day and we’re glad we can do this.”
Cassidy Lardizabal, a two-year operating room tech, called the announcement, “unreal. You just don’t see businesses do this. It’s amazing.”
Nikki Kael had only started working at Sterling one month ago, although having 23 years in the health care field. She works the front desk as an ambassador to help make patients comfortable.
“I believe I found my permanent place to work,” she said with a smile.