IBM Takes Special Place in Working Mother's List

By WeNews staff

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Working Mother Magazine's annual listing of good employers for mothers, which honors 100 companies, is celebrating its 25th year. This year four of the top-10 companies were accounting and auditing firms. IBM received a double honor.

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Flex time--which gives workers the chance to arrange their own work hours--has fallen in the past year to 49 percent of employers from 54 percent a year earlier.

While 95 percent of the list's companies offer formal mentoring, that figure shrinks to 17 percent nationwide.

All 100 of the companies cited by Working Mother offer health insurance to part-time workers compared to a national figure of 37 percent.

The companies listed also all offer paid maternity leave, lactation rooms, flex time, mental health consultations and elder-care resources; 98 percent offer health screening and wellness programs, which may be particularly significant in a stress-inducing, poor economy.

In the past 25 years, Working Mother has tracked the following improvements among companies on its list:

Six to 14 weeks of maternity leave at full pay, with pre-maternity leaves and new-mom phase-back versus just six weeks of partially-paid maternity leave 25 years ago.

Seventy-five percent of its winners offer paternity leave versus 4 percent 25 years ago.

Ninety-nine of its companies offer a range of child care services, including backup child care, sick child care, before- and after-school care and summer camps for kids. By contrast only seven of its companies offered on-site child care 25 years ago.

Sixty-three percent of the list's companies provide fully-staffed medical centers; 78 percent provide fitness centers; and 80 percent offer exercise classes. Twenty five years ago some companies offered only stress-reduction programs.

'Dramatic Change in America's Mindset'

"There's been a dramatic change in America's mindset," said Suzanne Riss, editor in chief of Working Mother, said in the statement.

Women with children no longer avoid talking about them for fear of being "mommy tracked" as they did in the mid-1980s.

"Today, moms have photos of their kids on their desks because companies recognize that moms make high-achieving, loyal and ambitious employees. What's more, other employee groups--including dads and people with aging parents--have benefited from the policies promoted by the 100 Best," added Riss.

Profiles of the 100 Best Companies, as well as national comparisons, are in the October issue of Working Mother, available at workingmother.com/bestcompanies.

Companies were selected based on an application form with more than 600 questions on work force, compensation, child care, flexibility programs, leave policies and more. The magazine says it also surveys the usage, availability and tracking of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them. The magazine said that this year particular weight was given to benefits, flexibility and parental leave.

-- Staff of Women's eNews