Notices For Employees And Applicants

Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and Required Affirmative Action for Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans

Last revised: 1/16/26

Purpose and Objective

It is the policy of Hormel Foods to provide equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants for employment, and to assure that there shall be no discrimination against any qualified person on prohibited grounds of race, ancestry, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, physical or mental disability, marital or familial status, legally protected medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, citizenship status, protected activity (such as opposition to or reporting of prohibited discrimination or harassment), or any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Hormel Foods will also make reasonable accommodations for disabled applicants and team members and for the sincerely held religious beliefs of applicants and team members.

Hormel Foods is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. We are committed to providing a workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. It is also the company’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct or participated in a company or agency investigation into such complaints.

Hormel Foods is a federal contractor subject to the affirmative action requirements of Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1984, as amended (“Section 4212”), and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (“Section 503”) and implementing regulations at 41 C.F.R. Sections 60-300 and 60-741. In addition, Hormel Foods is an equal employment opportunity employer. Hormel Foods will employ, advance in employment and otherwise treat applicants and team members, including qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities without regard to their protected veteran status, or physical or mental disability. Under this policy, Hormel Foods will provide reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified team member or applicant for employment, unless the accommodation would impose undue hardship on the operation of the company’s business.

Team members and applicants cannot be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged in or may engage in (1) filing a complaint; (2) assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance review, hearing or any other activity related to the administration of Section 503, Section 4212, or any other federal, state or local law requiring equal opportunity for disabled persons or protected veterans; (3) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by Section 503 or Section 4212 and their implementing regulations, or any other federal, state or local law requiring equal opportunity for disabled persons or protected veterans; or (4) exercising any other right protected by Section 503 or Section 4212 or their implementing regulations.

As required by federal law, the nonconfidential portions of Hormel Foods’ affirmative action program for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans is available for inspection upon the request by any team member or applicant for employment by scheduling an appointment with the human resources department during normal business hours.

Application to Team Members

This policy applies whenever and wherever a team member is performing a function of his or her job. In addition, Hormel Foods’ policies require that employment decisions be based only on valid job requirements and extend to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including, but not limited to, recruitment, selection, compensation, benefits, training, promotion and disciplinary actions.

Responsibility for Implementation

Jeff Ettinger, CEO of Hormel Foods, and Katie Larson, senior vice president of human resources, fully support this policy. Overall responsibility for this policy has been delegated to the corporate recruiting and compliance teams and human resources representatives in a place at operations locations. They are responsible for the implementation and auditing of these policies for corporate, sales, and plant locations. Complaints should be directed to the assigned human resources representative.