Valero Energy and the San Antonio AIDS Foundation each are locally based businesses, both of which are quite visible in the community. On the surface, at least, the similarities between the two end there. Whereas Valero is a Fortune 500 company that employs some 21,000 people, SAAF employs fewer than 50.

Valero is a fuel-refining giant, one that generated more than $90 billion in 2006 and has slapped corporate sponsorships on local events such as the Alamo Bowl and Texas Open.

SAAF, meanwhile, is a nonprofit organization that specializes in providing medical care to those infected with HIV/AIDS.

The differences span well beyond corporate profiles.

For instance, SAAF employs a casual dress code, which allows jeans and closed-toed sandals. Valero, meanwhile, requires its employees to adhere to a business-formal dress code.

“That's been a long-time tradition here at Valero,” said Bill Day, Valero's director of media relations, regarding the company's dress code. “Most people here appreciate it.”

Despite their many differences, Valero and SAAF share quite a few commonalities, particularly when it comes to workplace protocol.

Regarding the issue of dating within the workplace, neither company discourages it, though both adhere to the policy that a supervisor may not date a subordinate.

As far as personal phone calls and e-mails, both companies simply encourage their employees to exercise sound judgment when it comes to what and how much time those entail.

At SAAF, the same responsibility is given to the employees when it comes to what they can say and what they can't.
“We think people pretty much know what's allowed and what's not,” said Jill Rips, SAAF's deputy executive director. “As part of our orientation, we have (new employees) go over and read a lot of literature as to what the rules are, and they have to sign off saying that they understand them.”

Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at Career Builder.com, encourages that style of orientation.

“As companies continue to embrace more casual environments, employees may develop a false sense of informality when it comes to office behavior,” Haefner said in a news release. “Employees should make sure they are aware of company policies, so something that initially seems ‘harmless' doesn't end up negatively impacting a career.”

And higher-ups are not above reproach, either.

“We've had executives let go because they weren't being nice to their employees,” Day said, “whether they were berating them, yelling at them or swearing at them.”

No wonder Fortune magazine ranked Valero third on its January 2006 list of the “100 best companies to work for.”
SAAF wasn't on that prestigious list, but even so, Rips considers herself more than satisfied with her current occupation.

“I get tremendous personal satisfaction,” she said. “I have worked in public health for a long time ..... and I get a lot out of it. I believe in giving back to the community.”
 
 
Clint Hale | 210SA