Sodexo, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Sodexo 401 (K) Employees' Retirement Savings Plan and Trust
North Bethesda, MDAccommodation & Food Services96,764 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$441Employer $ per active participant
$983Employee $ saved per active participant
0.33%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.4BNet plan assets, end of year
$28,325Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity27.5 / 5055th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.1 / 258th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.9 / 1552th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score48 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 10,000+ active participants (41 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 55th |
| Lower admin cost | 8th |
| Employee saving | 52th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 24% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Sodexo put in about $441 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($393). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.33% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $42,721,436 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $95,075,985 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $14,453,315 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $7,739,699 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $592,502 |
| Benefits paid out | $299,864,849 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.2B / $2.4B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 86,365 / 107,164 |
| Participants with account balances | 86,328 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Financial, Inc. | $7,147,197 reported compensation |
| Prudential Insurance Co. | $298,762 reported compensation |
| Prudential Trust Co. | $166,138 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014073143NAL0001091507001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 52-0936594, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.