Adecco Names Joseph Ferrari of Norwood, MA Staffing Employee of the Year; Awards Created to Celebrate National Staffing Employee Week, October 15-21.

Business Editors

NORWOOD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 11, 2001

Joseph Ferrari, a resident of Norwood, has been named one of five Adecco Staffing Employees of the Year.

Adecco, the nation's--and the world's--largest staffing service company, created the awards to celebrate National Staffing Employee Week and to recognize the contributions of an increasingly important segment of the workforce: temporary employees.

Many people think of temporary employees as individuals starting out in their careers who take short-term positions at client companies to gain experience or get their foot in the door for a full-time position. Ferrari has a different reason for registering with Adecco: he is part of a growing contingent of retirees who return to the workforce on a part-time or flexible schedule as a way to earn extra income and keep an active lifestyle.

Ferrari, who was Director of Financial Aid at Berklee College of Music for 18 years, heard about Adecco from his wife, Nancy, who worked with Adecco to fill temporary positions at the hospital where she worked before retiring. Ferrari says, "In more than one way, Adecco and the client company have given me a way to stay active. I work part time, which keeps me active in the business world, and the hours are flexible, so I can still act as the substitute organist at my church and play at occasional weekday services. And the extra income allows my wife and me to take an occasional vacation to visit our grandchildren. For people who just aren't ready to retire completely, or who can't afford to, the temporary lifestyle is a great solution."

Meredith McKendall and Marni Dunton, office supervisors at the Adecco office in Norwood, are responsible for the account at the major defense and technology company where Ferrari works as an accounting clerk. McKendall says, "We're glad to pay tribute to Joe Ferrari, who is a stellar member of the temporary workforce. He exemplifies Adecco's core values--he's reliable, with a great work ethic, and is a real team player who has the client's interests at heart. We really look forward to presenting Joe with an award check for $1,000 at our National Staffing Employee Week celebration next week."

Each day, some 2.5 million people of all ages report to work for a temporary assignment with a staffing company, according to the American Staffing Association in Alexandria, Virginia. More and more workers, many of whom are seeking their first job or re-entering the workforce, are attracted to the benefits of temporary employment. Not only that, temporary employees contribute to their communities by helping to create a flexible workforce that companies use as a solution in meeting their business objectives. According to Debbie Pond-Heide, president of Adecco North America, "For a growing number of individuals, temporary employment represents an ideal lifestyle. We're proud to be involved in an industry that provides so much benefit to people, to businesses and by extension, to our national economy."

About Adecco

Adecco SA is the global leader in personnel services, connecting more than 700,000 temporary associates with businesses each day through a network of over 30,000 employees and more than 5,500 offices in 58 countries around the world. Registered in Switzerland, and managed by a multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, Adecco delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.

Adecco provides clients with staffing services and solutions covering all major industries as well as specific professions. The worldwide Adecco brand network focuses on global industries in transition, including automotive, banking, electronics, logistics, and telecommunications.

Adecco North America serves more than 70,000 clients a year through 2,000 points of sales and service in every state and seven Canadian provinces. With headquarters in Melville, NY, Adecco North America employs about 5,000 full time employees and places more than 160,000 temporary associates each week.

Adecco SA is listed on the Swiss Exchange (ADEN / trading on Virt-x: 1213860), NYSE (ADO), Euronext Premier Marche (12819). Further information can be found at www.adecco.com.