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I was at Total Mall yesterday, where the message was prominently displayed - Total Mall would stop accepting Sodexho Coupons from 1st Jan.

Rohan

With most of the grocery stores putting up these signs (no coupons from Jan/01st), I see a lot of guys not picking up the coupons in Jan 1st week- and opt for the amount in their next pay-check. The companies (Edenred etc) will know of the impact by mid of the month.

As i have mentioned in my post it would NOT benefit people who carry meals and refreshments from Home. The main aim of this is to promote having food in office. Good or Bad:-:another debate, but this is the motto.

Companies have nothing to loose IMHO except the admin people who may get a comission / cut of total sodexho sold. The company would you pay you the 800/- in your salary instead of 800+xxx worth of Sodexho. In fact looking the straightforward way, it is easier to process the 800/- directly for the finance team, instead of facilitating the same with the Sodexho vendor.

Having said the above, if supermarkets stop accepting, there is an option to spend the same at the company cafeteria itself. I am sure the company caterer would 200% accept sodexho. The catch being that people who bring food from home would not benefit.

I meant "companies" like Sodexho/Accor/Edenred (who issue the tokens) will be impacted, and not the employers/employees as such. If a good number of people don't pick up the tokens in Jan/2012, these token companies will feel the pinch.

If the money were added to the salaries, it would become taxable. So if the meal coupons were stopped or employees opted out of them, they would have to pay income tax on the same. Depending on the salary structure and other factors the quantum of this impact would differ, but there would be an impact.

MORE superstores in Mumbai/Thane also would stop accepting Sodexho and Accor starting Jan 1, 2012.

I'll have to move to Star Bazar now for my weekly grocery shopping.

A neighborhood shopkeeper told me that sodexho/accor charge around 6% as commission.

If the small stores also stop taking these coupons then there's no point taking them from next year onwards.

I spoke to known HR folks of some companies and infer that Sodexho and similar meal passes would continue to be issued to employees in 2012.

Thier argument is that these meal passes is given for consumption at office premises only (as per policy they coined) but people continue to use it outside office.

Good or bad god only knows but since stores have boycott sodexho, it does not impact sodexho. Sodexho continues to issue those passes, in liason with the company and forces you to buy from the company caterer.

At least in IT percentage of people who fight against thier managers are very less. No one would want to fight with thier manager and screw thier appraisal. The companies are encashing on this psycology.:Frustrati People will shout and abuse for two days and meekingly accept whatever is coined by HR.

Really Bharath? Is it that bad? This is appalling to say the least, I am shocked to hear that manager's in IT companies look up at such trivial things.

Thank God my ex-company had a canteen with subsidized food for all employees (officers + workers), also thank my heavens that I am not in IT field, this is too much for me.

Spike

Yes the average Manager in Software is like that only. He expects what ever he says is gospel truth and all should abide by it.

It is not about subsidized food but quality. The canteen in my previous company (Cognziant, Tambaram MEPZ ) had horrible food quality. Even crows would not eat that. lol:

We were forced to eat the same as there was only 1 breakfast vendor and the nearest roadside eatery was 3 kms away (No transport available. Walking Must).

What Managers would say is that In our XXX company you get sodexho, but other company YYY does not offer sodexho. so please be satisfied. No one will look into the fact that food quality is horrible in office and external stores have stopped accpeting sodexho. Compare this to the similar incident above. "Breakfast is served in office eat it". No manager will bother whether its tasty or not.

I made a calculation and actually stores can charge the difference from the customer. I personally am okay to pay this charge.

Rs 800/- Food allowance = Rs 1200/- Sodexho pass (Very least)

As far as i am concerned, My sodexho is treated on par with cash. So my benefit of sodexho is already 50% extra.

Sodexho is offering 94Rs per 100 from 2012 instead of the 97 Rs now. The difference is 3%.

So for every 1000/- spent for provisions, its Rs 30 extra. An average household spends 2000/- for provisions and eatables (conservative figure)

This works out to Rs 60 loss for the shops. They could collect Rs 60 from the customer for Sodexho and at least i am ready to pay. They can collcet 3% extra for sodexho holders like similar to 2% service charge for credit cards.

If i can pay 350/- for an evening show at PVR and buy 200ml Pepsi for Rs 100/-, i can jolly well pay Rs 60/- for my daily needs (provisions).

May be a bit OT, I feel this is exaggerated. My experience so far (as an employee/manager in IT) has been that these issues are dealt with by HR, -employee and are not an issue for the manager. At the end of the day, the manager is also an employee and will be impacted and he/she may actually push HR to resolve the matter fast. Appraisals don't come into the picture in these type of issues like coupons, office transport, canteen etc.

+1

I'm not even sure if the HR gets involved; things like food coupons are usually decided by the payroll. Managers don't get involved in the process.

Our company have issues the notice that even company cafeteria will not accept Accor \ Sodexo from Jan 1st, 2012 :(

Our company is currently evaluating if it is worth issuing accor coupons from Feb 2012.

Is this a government stricture or is the supermarket cartel coming together to boycott the increase of commission by sodexho?

If the latter, then I am sure, sooner or later we will hear of some agreement being reached.

BTW, a few months back, our finance dept. sent out a notice that those who had opted for the coupons should use them for "ready to eat food" and not elsewhere. When queried why this notice was being sent, the finance people said that they were advised by the Income Tax department to do so.

That would cover most vegetables and fruits.
Also covers breads and spreads.
Includes cheese and butter.

That usually finishes my sodex-ho booklet worth around 1700 bucks. :)