Chipotle will soon join the growing list of restaurants that offer expanded benefits to all employees, including tuition reimbursement for students.
The new benefits package will include paid sick days and paid vacation days, as well as a tuition reimbursement to part-time employees, the company said in a press release. The changes will be implemented July 1.
“We are always working to attract and retain the very best employees we can, and to helping develop our people so they can achieve their full potential,” Chris Arnold, Chipotle’s communication director, said.
Chipotle is joining a small and growing group of fast food restaurants offering more benefits. Earlier this year, Starbucks announced it will pay for a full four years of Arizona State University's online degree program for its employees. Roughly 2,000 Starbucks employees have chosen to take the offer thus far, according to the company's website.
McDonald’s unveiled a similar college reimbursement program in April. The fast food giant also announced an increase in pay and paid sick days for its employees.
Chipotle officials hope the new package will encourage their target employee demographic of high school and college students to pursue a career within the restaurant field.
“We have a lot of people who, if they realize they could make a career with Chipotle, would stick with us while they are in college and take advantage of our tuition-reimbursement program,” JD Cummings, recruitment strategy manager at Chipotle, told Nation’s Restaurant News. “They could find the path to restaurateur is an amazing path that they might not have thought of.”