The San Diego Union-Tribune Names Barona Resort & Casino Winner of the San Diego Metro Area 2015 Top Workplaces Award

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 9, 2015) - Barona Resort & Casino has been awarded the 2015 Top Workplaces honor by The San Diego Union-Tribune. The Union-Tribune partnered with Philadelphia based WorkplaceDynamics, LLC, a leading research firm that specializes in employee surveys. The Top Workplaces Award is based on the results of WorkplaceDynamics' employee feedback survey that was conducted earlier this year with 68 companies throughout San Diego County and completed by 1,500 Barona staff members.

"Good jobs are our focus at Barona and we have made a commitment to invest in our people above all else," said Rick Salinas, Barona Resort & Casino general manager. "Barona's nearly 3,000 staff is our most important asset and we also consider them our friends. They do the day-to-day work at Barona and care for hundreds of thousands of our precious players."

A desire to grow and care for that investment in its staff is one of the secrets of Barona's success. Almost everything Barona does is counterintuitive to most businesses, including its staff size and its confidence in the staff to run operations, make friends with hundreds of thousands of casino players and care for each other.

With $150 million in payroll, Barona has hundreds more staff when compared to casinos of the same size anywhere, including locally and Las Vegas. The larger staff creates an environment that allows time to build friendships among fellow employees as well as guests. This combination is a magic formula of operational excellence where both staff and players are happy and having fun.

One of the results of this philosophy is that over half of Barona's 3,000 staff members have worked at the casino for more than 10 years and more than 150 have been with Barona for 20 years or more. That level of employee retention is a model not only for the casino industry but for all businesses.

"The Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest. And oftentimes, people assume it's all about fancy perks and benefits," says Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. "But to be a Top Workplace, organizations must meet our strict standards for organizational health. And who better to ask about work life than the people who live the culture every day -- the employees. Time and time again, our research has proven that what's most important to them is a strong belief in where the organization is headed, how it's going to get there, and the feeling that everyone is in it together." Claffey adds, "Without this sense of connection, an organization doesn't have a shot at being named a Top Workplace."

This latest accolade from WorkplaceDynamics is one of dozens of awards Barona Resort & Casino has earned just this last year. It was named Best Casino, Loosest Slots and Best Buffet for the 5th year in a row along with 12 other awards in the 2015 San Diego's Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll awards. Barona is the most awarded casino ever!

About Barona Resort & Casino
Barona Resort & Casino, an AAA Four Diamond rated property, blends the best of San Diego's leading resorts with the gaming excitement of Las Vegas. Barona features 400 spacious guest rooms and suites with beautiful views of Barona Valley, award-winning dining, the AmBience Day Spa, a full-service events center and the 18-hole championship Barona Creek Golf Club, which was rated the 4^th Best Resort Course in California by Golfweek Magazine. For Barona Resort & Casino reservations and information, visit www.barona.com, or call toll free 888-7-BARONA (722-7662). You can also join Barona on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.