Check Out Working Mother's 100 Best Companies for 2008
Working Mother's 100 best companies are the gold standard for many working moms. The magazine's list for 2008 contains many familiar names, and is a terrific starting point for moms -- or prospective moms -- looking for an employer that will be family friendly.
Bear in mind, however, that working mom-friendly policies on the books are only the first step in a truly flexible workplace. Much depends on your specific job, manager, and work group. When considering a position, talk to people in the company and in the work group, if possible, in order to suss out the office culture.
I was relieved that this year, Working Mother found employers continuing to expand family-friendly benefits, rather than using the sluggish economy as an excuse to cut back. Some interesting points included:
- 99% of the companies offer part-time workers health insurance, versus 39% nationwide.
- 75% of the employers give fathers paid paternity leave, compared with 13% across the country.
- And older parents -- or working grandparents -- can take advantage of phased retirement at 64% of the companies, which dwarfs the 6% of companies nationwide that have such programs.
Readers, what's your top priority as a working mom? Would you rather work for a company with great maternity leave or flexible work schedules? Please share your views in the comment section or forum.
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Comments
Wow, a lot of healthcare and financial companies. In another lifetime, I worked for The St. Paul Companies, which is now Travelers. They had a wonderful program for moms, including a special room for nursing mothers. I was surprised to see they’re no longer on the list.
I think flexibility has to trump maternity leave, since flexibility can be helpful throughout your entire career and maternity leave is only used occasionally. That said, having a really good maternity leave with my first child was critical in helping me become a more relaxed, confident working mom, and it earned my company a LOT of loyalty.