Findings Include: No Effects of Recession on Work/Life Benefits and More Men Taking Paternity Leave

New York, NY (September 24) — Despite a business culture troubled by economic downturn, smart companies are carrying on their efforts to compete for the talent of the nation's 26 million working mothers, Working Mother magazine announced today.

With the release of the 17th annual list of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers," Working Mother laid out three basic trends among applicants: no rollback of work/life benefits during the recent recession, a post-9/11 increased emphasis on flexible scheduling, and augmented use of family leave by employees.

Editor-in-Chief Jill Kirschenbaum explained that "we're also seeing more and more working dads demanding work/life benefits, which turns out to be good news for working moms. The more it becomes the norm for both parents to stay involved with their kids, the less women's family obligations will negatively affect their advancement — or their paycheck."

Carol Evans, CEO of Working Mother Media, adds that "post-September 11, work/life initiatives have taken on even greater significance, with programs from employee assistance to telecommuting. Employees want to have flexibility to deal with family needs on a day-to-day basis, as well as in an emergency. Companies are winning the loyalty of employees who get the work done, wherever and whenever they do their jobs."

In compiling the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" list, the editors focused on how well companies provide their employees with particular benefits like flexible schedules and leave for new parents. Programs for women's advancement also assumed greater importance this year.

The complete list appears in the October issue of Working Mother (on newsstands today and at www.workingmother.com). A CNBC television special will spotlight some of the best of the "100 Best" at 8PM EST this evening. Working Mother magazine will honor the companies at a gala awards ceremony at the WorkLife Congress in New York October 1 & 2, www.worklifecongress.com).

Top 10
Working Mother gives special kudos to the ten companies that rank the highest (listed alphabetically):

• Abbott Laboratories, IL (1st time on Top 10; 2 years on list)
• American Express, NY (1st time on Top 10; 13 years on list)
• Bank of America, NC (9th time on Top 10; 14 years on list)
• Booz Allen Hamilton, VA (1st time on Top 10; 4 years on list)
• Bristol-Myers Squibb, NY (2nd time on Top 10; 5 years on list)
• Colgate-Palmolive, NY (1st time on Top 10; 3 years on list)
• Computer Associates, NY (1st time on Top 10; 3 years on list)
• Fannie Mae, DC (4th time on Top 10; 9 years on list)
• General Mills, MN (1st time on Top 10; 7 years on list)
• IBM, NY (15th time on Top 10; 17 years on list)

Industry Leaders
Companies that shine as BEST IN INDUSTRY include Booz Allen Hamilton (Financial & Professional Services), Baptist Health South Florida (Health Care), IBM (Information Technology), General Mills (Manufacturing), Discovery Communications (Media & Advertising), Abbott Laboratories (Pharmaceuticals), and Carlson Companies (Travel & Hospitality).

Best in Class
Using company survey scores, this year Working Mother also highlights as BEST IN CLASS those companies excelling in specific categories: DuPont (Flexibility), CIGNA (Representation of Women), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Child Care), S.C. Johnson & Son (Advancement), Citigroup (Family-Friendly/Corporate Culture), and Arnold & Porter (Leave for New Parents).

Family Champion
Working Mother singles out Steve Sanger, CEO of manufacturing giant General Mills (Minneapolis, MN) as this year's FAMILY CHAMPION for thinking outside the (cereal) box with regard to family-friendly programs. Ever since CEO Steve Sanger's two year-old daughter locked herself in the hotel bathroom moments before a Wall Street analyst presentation six years ago, nobody has to explain to him how work and family obligations can collide. Flexible work arrangements make up one piece of the work/family puzzle assembled under Sanger that includes on-site child care and health care, time-saving employee perks, backup child-care, and programs to advance women through the ranks. Parent-friendly offerings reflect the complex needs of working mothers, such as emergency-care for kids on school holidays, on-site mammograms for time-crunched working moms, as well as a variety of yoga and exercise classes for stressed-out employees.

Small Business Champion
Working Mother also recognizes the efforts of America's small businesses, which employ more than half of the workforce but lack the resources of large organizations. "Every company strives to lure — and keep — the best people by finding the right mix of pay and perks, and this challenge looms large, particularly for small companies," says Kirschenbaum.

Saluted for his above-and-beyond commitment to employees, this year's SMALL BUSINESS CHAMPION, Noel Group CEO John Noel, began the Wisconsin-based travel insurance agency — and his quest for work/life balance — over a decade ago in his basement. Noel's fervent dedication to staff shows in work/life initiatives like on-site child care and flexibility. And when Noel adopted a "no-downsizing" policy post 9/11, employees returned the loyalty by volunteering for 24-hour shifts, providing back-up child care, and taking on new roles in short-staffed departments.

Companies To Watch
Acknowledging those companies improving work-life benefits but have yet to achieve "100 Best" status, Working Mother points to three COMPANIES TO WATCH: Pitt County Memorial Hospital (NC), Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe (CA), and Forest Laboratories, Inc (NY).

About Working Mother
Working Mother magazine, founded in 1979, reaches more than 3 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. Its 17-year signature "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" serves as a benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. The magazine is part of Working Mother Media (WMM), which also owns the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), Executive Female, and the annual 100 Best Companies Work/Life Conference. In 2002, WMM launched a new initiative, Best Companies for Women of Color.

2002 "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers"
* first year on the list

ABBOTT LABORATORIES	IL
ABN AMRO NORTH AMERICA, INC.	IL
ACACIA GROUP*	MD
AFLAC INCORPORATED	GA
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES*	CA
ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY	IL
AMERICA ONLINE*	VA
AMERICAN AIRLINES	TX
AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER*	OH
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY	NY
ARNOLD & PORTER	DC
ARNOLD WORLDWIDE*	MA
ASTRAZENECA*	DE
AVENTIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.*	NJ
AVNET, INC*	AZ
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.	NC
BANK ONE CORPORATION	IL
BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA	FL
BAYER CORPORATION	PA
BAYFRONT HEALTH SYSTEM	FL
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MASS.	MA
BON SECOURS RICHMOND HEALTH SYSTEM	VA
BOOZ ALLEN & HAMILTON	VA
BP AMERICA INC*	IL
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY	NY
BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN*	NY
BRYANLGH MEDICAL CENTER	NE
CARLSON COMPANIES	MN
CIGNA CORPORATION	PA
CINERGY	OH
CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.	CA
CITIGROUP	NY
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY	NY
COMPUTER ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL, INC.	NY
CORNING INCORPORATED	NY
CROSS COUNTRY TRAVCORPS	FL
DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION	MI
DELOITTE & TOUCHE	CT
DEUTSCHE BANK	NY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.	MD
DUPONT	DE
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY	NY
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY	IN
ERNST & YOUNG LLP	NY
FANNIE MAE	DC
FIRST NATIONAL BANK *	NE
FIRST TENNESSEE NATIONAL CORPORATION	TN
FLEETBOSTON FINANCIAL	MA
FLEISHMAN HILLARD*	MO
FORD MOTOR COMPANY	MI
FREDDIE MAC*	VA
GANNETT CO., INC.	VA
GENENTECH	CA
GENERAL MILLS	MN
GENERAL MOTORS	MI
GLAXOSMITHKLINE	NC
HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE	NJ
HOUSEHOLD INTERNATIONAL	IL
HP	CA
IBM CORPORATION	NY
INTEGRIS HEALTH, INC.*	OK
INTEL CORPORATION*	CA
JFK MEDICAL CENTER	FL
JOHNSON & JOHNSON	NJ
JPMORGAN CHASE	NY
KPMG LLP	NJ
KRAFT FOODS INC	IL
LINCOLN FINANCIAL GROUP	PA
LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC	NJ
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.	DC
MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL *	NY
MBNA AMERICA BANK, N.A.	DE
MERCK & CO, INC.	NJ
MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.	NY
METLIFE	NY
MORGAN STANLEY	NY
MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP	CA
NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY	NY
NORTHERN TRUST CORPORATION	IL
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE	IL
NOVANT HEALTH, INC.	NC
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORP.	NJ
PATAGONIA, INC	CA
PEARSON EDUCATION	NJ
PFIZER INC.	NY
THE PHOENIX COMPANIES, INC.	CT
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP	NY
PROCTER & GAMBLE	OH
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC.	NJ
REPUBLIC BANCORP INC.	MI
SAS INSTITUTE	NC
S. C. JOHNSON & SON, INC.	WI
SCHERING-PLOUGH CORPORATION	NJ
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.	CA
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS	TX
TIAA-CREF	NY
USAA	TX
VERIZON WIRELESS*	NJ
WACHOVIA CORPORATION	NC
WYETH	NJ

Contacts:

Meryl.Weinsaft@workingmother.com
(212) 351-6456/(917) 974-0022

Lisa_Fels@newyorklife.com/Karen_R_Payes@newyorklife.com
(212) 576-7937/(212) 576-5624

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