When I was searching for my first job, the last thing I was concerned about was whether the companies I was applying to were “mom-friendly.”
Of course, I was single then, but time was also a factor. It’s been nearly 20 years since I applied for my first post-college job. Back then, being a working mom was not nearly as commonplace as it is today. What’s more, two decades ago, terms such as “on-site childcare” and “flex time programs” were even scarcer.
Around the time I was getting into the workforce “Working Mother” magazine had just started compiling its popular list of “Best Companies.” The magazine was in its infancy and determined to “cover the immense influx of women into the workforce at the exact moment that American businesses were trying to reinvent themselves to survive yet more economic turmoil.” It was then that magazine editors challenged companies to address the unique needs of working mothers.
When the list began in 1986 it featured just 30 companies, but by 1992, the list grew to 100. This year the magazine is celebrating 25 years of its “Best of” list. To land a spot on the list, businesses have to answer more than 600 questions about the benefits they provide to support working mothers and their families. “Working Mother” then scores companies based on a variety of factors, including:
*Workforce representation
*Childcare facilities
*Flex time programs
*Maternity leave policies
*Mom-friendly amenities, such as private lactation rooms and assistance finding elder-care services
*Telecommuting and temporary part-time work options
In 2010, list toppers include Bank of America, Deloitte, Discovery, Ernst and Young, General Mills and IBM. According to the magazine, IBM and Johnson and Johnson are the only two companies that have been on “Working Women’s” list from the beginning.
In the case of Johnson and Johnson, moms catch a break with the health-care company’s free College Coach program. Then, there’s Discovery Communications, where new moms are allowed nine fully paid weeks of maternity leave. At AOL, kids get a great start in life when their moms work for this Web services company. Its innovative Well Baby program offers coaching on prenatal care, childbirth, lactation and newborn health. Meanwhile, moms who work for Intel, enjoy a slew of Family Fun events, held at least 55 times a year, which feature games, movies and other activities.
Do you work for a mom-friendly company?
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