Adecco USA Joins United Nations Global Compact Initiative.

MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Adecco USA (NYSE:ADO), the nation's leading staffing services provider, today announced that the company has joined the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary corporate citizenship initiative with a vision of a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. The company is committed to supporting the Global Compact's ten principles, which seek to provide businesses with an ethical framework in which they may both expand market opportunities and conduct business responsibly.

The Global Compact's ten principles address issues of significance in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the environment and anti-corruption. Specifically, the principles are as follows:

Human Rights

--Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and

--Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labor Standards

--Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

--Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor;

--Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labor; and

--Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Environment

--Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;

--Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and

--Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies

Anti-Corruption

--Principle 10: Businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.

The Global Compact asks member organizations to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, these ten principles. It also asks members to engage with other partners to give concrete expression to the Global Compact principles. In order to advocate for changes that will make the business world a truly global community, Adecco USA will focus mainly on Principle 6, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, in its global partnership efforts.

As Leo Loucas, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Adecco USA, says, "American anti-discriminatory laws are some of the most advanced in the world. Since Adecco USA is one of the country's largest employers, having employed more than half a million people in 2004 alone, the company is well suited to educating Adecco subsidiaries and clients in other nations about the importance of nondiscrimination as well as best practices in becoming an equal opportunity employer. We can also provide them with information that will help them lobby in favor of nondiscriminatory legislation in their own countries. Because Adecco operates in 70 territories around the world, there is enormous potential for positive change, leading to true globalization of the labor market, with equal employment opportunity for all qualified individuals. Only when the workplace is accessible to everyone can true social integration take place. In this way, Adecco hopes to contribute to the overall goal of establishing what UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls a 'sustainable and inclusive society'."

Adecco USA's first step in this initiative is to produce and distribute a training document affirming the company's commitment to and support of Principle 6. The information in the document is used to train Adecco USA colleagues, and the document will be sent to all Adecco subsidiaries worldwide to share and discuss with clients, candidates, and legislators or policy makers. This information will also be available on www.adeccousa.com on a page dedicated to Adecco's Global Compact membership.

As Enrique de la Rubia, the Adecco Group's legislative, public affairs and CSR officer, says, "We are very glad that Adecco USA has joined other Adecco Group business units in supporting the principles of the Global Compact. As an employment company, Adecco has extensive knowledge of the complexities of the labor market, placing us in a good position to battle workplace discrimination. Adecco USA's contribution to our knowledge about and training in support of nondiscriminatory practices will strengthen the power of collective action that defines the Global Compact."

About Adecco

Adecco S.A. is a Fortune Global 500 company and the global leader in HR Solutions. The Adecco Group network connects up to 700,000 associates with business clients each day through its network of 30,000 employees and over 6,000 offices in 71 territories around the world. Registered in Switzerland, and managed by a multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, the Adecco Group delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.

The Adecco Group comprises three divisions: Adecco Staffing, Ajilon Professional and LHH Career Services. In Adecco Staffing, the Adecco network focuses on flexible staffing solutions for global industries in transition, including automotive, banking, electronics, logistics and telecommunications; Ajilon Professional offers an unrivalled range of specialized branded businesses; LHH Career Services encompasses our portfolio of outplacement and coaching consultancy businesses.

Adecco Staffing USA serves more than 70,000 clients a year through a nationwide network of almost 1,100 points of sales and service. With headquarters in Melville, NY, Adecco employs about 3,100 full-time employees and places more than 120,000 temporary associates each week. Adecco USA is a member of the American Staffing Association, an organization that promotes legal, ethical, and professional practices for the staffing industry.

Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange with trading on Virt-x (SWX/VIRT-X:ADEN), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:ADO) and Euronext Paris - Premier Marche (EURONEXT: ADE).

Additional information is available at www.adeccousa.com.