Mom's Other Job
Posted on Mar 29, 2011 by JRF
Flextime options help mothers be great at home and professionally
As every parent knows, it’s a full time job raising kids. But what about that other full time job, the one where you have to go to the office? Many women employed outside the home come across the difficulty of balancing work and family. What do you do when your child needs to come home sick from school, but you are in the middle of a companywide meeting? Instead of having to choose, this list of Working Mother 100 Best Companies spotlights companies that are integrating family friendly policies to help moms be great at home and professionally.
American Express creates their own lingo like, “hub, club, home, and roam,” which reference the options employees have to move between work locations. Hub is the corporate building, club is an on-site workspace, home is, in fact, their own home and roam is anywhere they can reach Wi-Fi. As American Express works to keep their commitment to flextime, women are flocking to work for them. 65% of their employees are women, and 45% of managers, senior managers and corporate execs are also female.
Marriott International, with over half of top earners being women, has helpful childcare programs, tuition aid, mentoring and networking programs and flextime options. They have grown three fold in the number of female general managers and executives since the start of the corporation. They boast over 600 employees working full time hours from home. This is an uncompromisable option for mothers that need to be home with young kids.
So, who snagged the number one spot? Bank of America sits at the top spot for a host of progressive policies. All new parents, this includes dad too, can take leave for 26 weeks after a birth or adoption and the first three months are leave with full pay. They encourage mothers to be involved in their kids’ academic lives by offering two paid hours per week when moms can volunteer time at their child’s school. If mom wants to be in school herself, Bank of America is happy to assist with $5,250 in tuition aid.
These companies are on the right track. Not only are they showing that flexibility can work, they are making sure that pay gaps and the glass ceiling will be things of the past.
As an organization that supports women, we see the hard choices that many have to make to care for children or relatives or friends. As these initiatives spread, they will benefit more than working mothers. Making sure that women are promoted to executive leadership, and earning salaries that match, are part of this change. For 35 years Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund has awarded scholarships to women nationwide, to help them earn their degrees and secure better careers. It’s nice to see the corporate world is starting to do their part to help women succeed.
Tagged: family friendly policies, 100 best companies
