Company: Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., Tamppa, Florida
Company Description: Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. is the largest double drive-thru chain with nearly 800 Checkers/Rally's locations nationwide.
Nomination Category: Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Human Resources Organization

Nomination Title: Checkers/Rally’s Human Resources Organization

   1. Tell the story about what this nominated functional organization achieved in 2004 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Checkers/Rally’s Human Resources Department has accomplished a lot in 2004
for such a small team, consisting of only five employees and two field trainers who
support over 5,000 employees in 12 markets in eight states. Checkers/Rally’s has
taken the unique approach of training field personnel in all aspects of Human
Resources issues compared to most other multi-unit retail chains who allow for
G&A expenses that support field HR personnel. Checkers/Rally’s takes this
unique approach because they believe that each restaurant manager should feel
ownership of his/her restaurant. The managers are trained to make decisions on
their own, with the support and management advice from the corporate office.

Checkers/Rally’s has been recognized for its achievements in Human Resources
excellence. For example, in 2004, Checkers/Rally’s received the American
Business Award for Best Human Resources Executive, and in 2003,
Checkers/Rally’s received the 2003 Nation’s Restaurant News “People and
Performance Award (PAPA)” for Best Employee Recognition.

Employee Relations

Checkers/Rally’s “Top Ten” Manager Incentive Trip is entering its fifth year. The
Company recognizes its top ten General Managers nationwide with an all-expense
paid cruise to the Caribbean where, during black-tie award ceremonies, the
Company recognizes its top-performing General Managers with special prizes,
including diamond rings.

Checkers/Rally’s also recognizes its top-performing General Managers nationwide,
Company and Franchise, with brand new cars. In its fourth year, this program
awards brand new cars each period to General Managers for their sales
successes, and other prizes to the crews who support the managers.

These recognition programs have helped Checkers/Rally’s employee turnover rates
steadily decrease over the past several years. The rates have dropped from 225
percent in 1998 to just over 150 percent in 2004, bringing them well-below the
restaurant industry standard of over 200 percent.

Checkers/Rally’s HR Organization has also implemented sexual harassment
training for the entire system, which has brought the system average of incidences
to less then 10 EEOC charges per year in a population of over 5,000 employees in
over 200 locations. The Company successfully defended all of the charges for a
total liability of $4,000.

Risk Management

The work of the Checkers/Rally’s HR Organization has helped the Company see
great improvements in workers compensation claims over the past year. Worker
compensations claims costs showed a 55 percent improvement and overall claims
and premium costs savings totaled $1 million while industry averages saw 10 to 15
percent increases.

Benefits

With an enhanced and richer program, Checkers/Rally’s saw a 5.7 percent
increase over last year in claims and fixed costs against industry trends of 10 to
15 percent increases. This was accomplished through excellent claims
management. As a result, Checkers/Rally’s employees have not seen an increase
in the portion of medical expenses in three years

Training

The program developed by Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. for teaching health
and cleanliness standards to its employees has been adopted by the Florida
Restaurant Association as the model program and is being used by other
restaurant chains. Checkers/Rally’s also system-wide training programs that focus
on speed, order accuracy and hospitality.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

Press release: Checkers/Rally's Honored at the 2004 American Business Awards
(SM)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=61892&p=irol-newsEvents_Article&ID=526553&highlight=

Press release: Checkers/Rally's Recognized for Extraordinary Employee Incentive
Programs
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=61892&p=irol-newsEvents_Article&ID=458217&highlight=

Tampa Tribune article:
http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/uploads/ChkrTampaTrib070504.pdf

Nation's Restaurant News article:
http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/uploads/Chkr_NRN_061404.pdf

Daily Reflector article:
http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/uploads/ChkrDailyReflector_cargiveaway_030804.jpg

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of this nominated functional organization:

Steve Cohen (52), Senior VP of HR at Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., joined
Checkers in 1997 and has been instrumental in developing employee training,
benefits and retention programs.

Mr. Cohen has nearly 30 years of HR experience, most recently serving as
Director of HR for field operations with EZCorp. Mr. Cohen also served as Director of HR for the Western Division of Long John Silvers. He began with Korvette’s Department Stores, working his way up from Personnel Manager to Assistant VP of HR for Service Merchandise.

Mr. Cohen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from C.W. Post College of
Long Island University.