100 Best Companies for Working Mothers

Working Mother Magazine Announces 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
Courtesy of New Your Life and Working Mother Magazine Despite a business culture troubled by economic downturn, smart companies are carrying on their efforts to compete for the talent of the nation's 26 million working mothers, Working Mother magazine announced today.

With the release of the 17th annual list of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers," Working Mother laid out three basic trends among applicants: no rollback of work/life benefits during the recent recession, a post-9/11 increased emphasis on flexible scheduling, and augmented use of family leave by employees.

Editor-in-Chief Jill Kirschenbaum explained that "we're also seeing more and more working dads demanding work/life benefits, which turns out to be good news for working moms. The more it becomes the norm for both parents to stay involved with their kids, the less women's family obligations will negatively affect their advancement — or their paycheck."

Carol Evans, CEO of Working Mother Media, adds that "post-September 11, work/life initiatives have taken on even greater significance, with programs from employee assistance to telecommuting. Employees want to have flexibility to deal with family needs on a day-to-day basis, as well as in an emergency. Companies are winning the loyalty of employees who get the work done, wherever and whenever they do their jobs."

In compiling the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" list, the editors focused on how well companies provide their employees with particular benefits like flexible schedules and leave for new parents. Programs for women's advancement also assumed greater importance this year.

The complete list appears in the October issue of Working Mother (on newsstands and at www.workingmother.com).

Top 10
Working Mother gives special kudos to the ten companies that rank the highest (listed alphabetically):

1. Abbott Laboratories, IL (1st time on Top 10; 2 years on list)
2. American Express, NY (1st time on Top 10; 13 years on list)
3. Bank of America, NC (9th time on Top 10; 14 years on list)
4. Booz Allen Hamilton, VA (1st time on Top 10; 4 years on list)
5. Bristol-Myers Squibb, NY (2nd time on Top 10; 5 years on list)
6. Colgate-Palmolive, NY (1st time on Top 10; 3 years on list)
7. Computer Associates, NY (1st time on Top 10; 3 years on list)
8. Fannie Mae, DC (4th time on Top 10; 9 years on list)
9. General Mills, MN (1st time on Top 10; 7 years on list)
10. IBM, NY (15th time on Top 10; 17 years on list)