When Helping People Is Just the Right Thing to Do
Boddie-Noell Enterprises (BNE) leaders have built an Emergency Financial Relief program that is deeply connected to their values and culture, investing two decades ensuring they have a financial safety net for their people when the unforeseen happens.
BNE is a third-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Founded in January 1962 by brothers Mayo and Nick Boddie and their uncle Carleton Noell, BNE opened one of the very first Hardee's restaurants in Fayetteville, North Carolina, launching what would become a 60-plus-year legacy of entrepreneurship, innovation and people-first leadership. Today, BNE stands as the largest Hardee's franchise operator in the United States, owning and operating 318 restaurant locations across North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Kentucky. Its portfolio also includes BNE Land & Development, Rose Hill (a historic special event facility near Nashville, North Carolina) and Rose Hill Farm.
Despite its scale, BNE has never lost the close-knit, family-oriented culture its founders instilled. That culture is the reason BNE was among the very first companies to partner with E4E Relief, and it is the reason they haven't looked back.
A Leap of Faith That Paid Off
Twenty years ago, employer-sponsored Emergency Financial Relief was not recognized as an industry standard. It was a new idea, and very few company leaders were implementing it. BNE's current team includes Chairman and CEO Bill Boddie and Program Contacts Nanette Herbert and Becky Owens. The original leadership group (which included Nanette) saw an opportunity to do something bigger and more sustainable than what their regional teams were already doing on their own. That vision continues to thrive today.
"We wanted a vehicle that would provide assistance to our employees when they had difficulties," Herbert said. "We wanted it to be administered according to established guidelines and that the decisions were made by a third party, on an impartial basis; something that everybody could really feel good about."
Boddie framed it simply: with employees spread across more than 300 locations, and a workforce that at its peak reached 12,000 people, a more substantial employee financial relief program was needed. "What if every person gave a little bit?," he said. "It could add up really quick."
It did. And what started as a one-off crisis response effort became BNE Helping Hands; a fully functioning Emergency Financial Relief program that both BNE and employees contribute to and employees draw from, administered by E4E Relief, and that is available to every BNE employee regardless of whether they have contributed. That good idea became a corporate responsibility standard.
Hardships Don't Wait for a Convenient Time
One of the most powerful things about BNE Helping Hands is what it covers, and when it is activated. Hardships are not seasonal. They don't arrive on a predictable schedule or give anyone time to prepare. They land without warning, on any day of the year, for anyone.
Consider the employee who lost everything in a house fire. Working as the sole income earner, with no way to replace furniture or basic appliances, this individual turned to BNE Helping Hands. "My house burnt down and I lost everything I had. I am needing help in getting furniture and appliances. I cannot afford things for a house because I am the only one working at this time. Any assistance would greatly be appreciated."
That is exactly the kind of moment BNE leaders built this program to meet. Two decades ago, they made the sound decision to step up for their workforce; a decision that enabled BNE leaders to respond quickly when the unthinkable happens.
Over BNE's 20-year partnership with E4E Relief, employees have faced hurricanes, floods, house fires and personal financial crises. When Hurricane Matthew devastated southeastern North Carolina in 2016, BNE's HR field team went directly to affected employees, helped them complete applications on the spot and moved fast to get assistance processed. "I just remember seeing them bring in stacks of applications," Herbert said, "and us getting it over to E4E Relief very quickly and being able to provide assistance in a very timely manner."
The Numbers Tell the Story
The results of BNE Helping Hands are not anecdotal. They are measurable.
Of BNE employees who received a grant through the program, 92% say it helped them regain financial stability. Ninety-two percent also say the grant helped them maintain their work performance. And 85% say the experience strengthened their desire to remain employed with BNE.
For Boddie, those numbers affirm what he believed from the start. "We knew if it was the right thing to do and it would help people, it would eventually help the company," he said. "But that was not the first reason to do it."
Herbert agreed. "If you've got someone who's looking after you during some of the most difficult times in your life, you can't help but have a sense of loyalty, and that translates to reduced turnover and employee satisfaction."
Everyone Has a Role
One of the most distinctive features of BNE Helping Hands is that employees have the option to contribute to it. For as little as one dollar per pay period, any BNE team member can make a difference and every dollar goes directly back to employees in need.
This was a deliberate decision. Boddie wanted every employee, regardless of their position or pay grade, to have the ability to help a colleague. "It provides every employee an opportunity to help each other out," he said. "It gives everyone in the company, no matter what their economic status is, a chance to be part of something."
An Industry Standard, Built from the Ground Up
When BNE launched its program, almost no one else in their industry was doing anything like it. Today, BNE's approach is recognized as a benchmark in the employee financial relief space.
What has remained unchanged through all of it is simple: the mission to help. "It doesn't need to change a lot," Boddie reflected. "It's just people in need and people getting together and helping them."
For any employer still on the fence, Herbert put it plainly: "If you can put something in place that will help and support your people and wrap your arms around them when they're having a really tough time, why wouldn't you do that?"
BNE has been answering that question the same way for 20 years. With action.
