Editor's note: This story was updated on Sept. 28, 2017.
Working Mother magazine has released this year's list of the "Best 100 Companies" for working mothers, and more than 30 health care companies—including eight hospitals and health systems—made the cut.
Methodology
To qualify for the 32nd annual list, companies had to employ at least 500 people in the United States, offer at least one week of full-paid maternity leave to all female full-time exempt employees who have been with the organization for at least one year, and offer some type of flex benefits.
Applicants were evaluated based on their responses to more than 400 questions, including questions about their advancement programs, workforce representation, and policies on child care, flexible work arrangements, and leave.
Honorees in health care
Eight hospitals and health systems made this year's list, including:
- Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables);
- Bon Secours Virginia Health System (Richmond, Va.);
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Atlanta);
- Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Florida);
- Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (Chicago);
- Scripps Health (San Diego);
- TriHealth (Cincinnati); and
- WellStar Health System (Marietta, Georgia).
All eight are Advisory Board members. The Advisory Board Company was also recognized on this year's list.
The list also recognized several other organizations involved in the health care industry, including providers, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and diagnostic companies. Of those honorees, 20 are Advisory Board members, including:
- Abbott (Lake Bluff, Ill.)
- AbbVie (Chicago);
- Astellas (Washington, D.C.);
- BDO USA (Chicago);
- Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina (Durham, N.C.);
- Boehringer Ingelheim USA (Ridgefield, Conn.);
- Boston Scientific (Malborough, Mass.);
- Bristol-Myers Squibb (New York);
- Eli Lilly and Company (Indianapolis);
- GE (Boston);
- Grant Thornton (London);
- Herman Miller (Zeeland, Mich.);
- Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ (Newark, N.J.);
- Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, N.J.);
- JP Morgan Chase & Co (New York);
- Lexmark International (Lexington, Kentucky);
- Moss Adams (Seattle);
- Novo Nordisk (Plainsboro, N.J.);
- Roche Diagnostics (Indianapolis); and
- Verizon (Basking Ridge, N.J.).
About the honorees
According to Working Mother, this year's honorees offered an average of 10 weeks of maternity leave, up from an average of nine weeks last year, while the top 10 companies offered an average of 15 weeks. Nationwide, only 30 percent of companies offer any paid maternity leave.
Moreover, nearly all of the companies on this year's list offered several parental support benefits in addition to maternity leave, Working Mother reports. For instance:
- 98 percent of honorees offered paid adoption leave, compared with 23 percent of companies in the United States overall;
- 97 percent of honorees offered paid paternity leave, compared with 24 percent of companies in the United States overall; and
- 93 percent of honorees offered adoption assistance, compared with 9 percent of companies in the United States overall.
Meanwhile, this year's honorees offered an average of four weeks for paternity leave, with the top 10 companies offering an average of nine weeks. Among the top 25 firms offering paid leave, the average amount of paid paternity leave was seven weeks.
In terms of advancement opportunities, Working Mother found that:
- 96 percent of the honorees prioritized advancement by identifying high-potential women;
- 95 percent offered mentoring; and
- 92 percent offered career counseling.
And when it comes to childcare:
- 92 percent of honorees offered backup childcare;
- 72 percent offered sick-child care; and
- 41 percent had at least one onsite childcare center.
In a statement, Meredith Bodgas, editor-in-chief at Working Mother, said, "This year's winning companies know the value of keeping their employee moms engaged and supported," adding, "They use schedule flexibility, paid parental leave and family benefits to ensure that parents can develop meaningful careers while leading satisfying home lives" (100 Best Companies 2017 list, Working Mother, accessed 9/27; 100 Best Companies 2017 Data Snapshot, Working Mother, accessed 9/27; Working Mother Best 100 Companies Survey, Working Mother, 6/1; Carrig, USA Today, 7/26; Connley, CNBC, 9/26).
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