Blue Cross and Blue Shield Named a 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Company
Recession fails to derail support for working moms. 100 Best continue to improve while nationwide standards sag.
Chapel Hill, NC (Vocus/PRWEB ) September 23, 2009 -- Defying expectations in this time of economic stress, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) has been named among the 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies for its unwavering dedication to family-friendly benefits.
BCBSNC and the other winning companies lead the way in pioneering programs that support families with 100 percent offering flextime, on-site lactation and telecommuting; and 98 percent offering job-sharing and wellness programs-numbers that dwarf those seen nationwide. In addition, financial programs available to the 100 Best employees are on the rise, a much needed boost for families in today's economy. These include tuition reimbursement, retirement planning and pre-tax FSAs for childcare.
Bob Greczyn, BCBSNC president and CEO said, "This is a great honor for our company to be recognized for the second year in a row as one of the 100 best companies in the nation for working mothers. This ranking recognizes our strong commitment to attract and retain high quality employees by offering benefits that count. It shows that we're listening to and responding to the needs of North Carolina's working mothers and working families."
By contrast, national numbers are significantly lower with just 25 percent of companies offering on-site lactation (vs. 100 percent of the 100 Best), 11 percent with stress reduction programs (vs. 96 percent of the 100 Best), 35 percent offering health insurance for part-timers (vs. 99 percent of the 100 Best) and 16 percent offering job-sharing (vs. 98 percent of the 100 Best).
"The Working Mother 100 Best Companies stand head and shoulders above the rest," said Carol Evans, CEO, Working Mother Media. "For example, in the last year, we saw the number of companies nationwide offering flexible work arrangements diminish five percentage points, while the 100 Best Companies stayed steady at 100 percent. The 100 Best provide leadership where and when we need it most, furnishing a framework of support for working families during good times and bad. If all companies adopted these best practices, more families could weather the economic storm."
Profiles of the 100 Best Companies, as well as national comparisons, are in the October issue of Working Mother and at workingmother.com (http://www.workingmother.com/).
"Moms are increasingly becoming the sole breadwinners in many households as men lose their jobs at a higher rate than women," said Suzanne Riss, Editor in Chief, Working Mother magazine. "Now more than ever, our readers and all working mothers need the support of their employers. By offering benefits like paid maternity leave, the ability to work from home and wellness programs, as well as programs that enhance financial well-being, our 100 Best are helping to reduce stress in the busy lives of working moms. These companies epitomize family-friendly support at its best."
Even in tough economic times, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies employ creative programs that adeptly help employees in all areas of their lives.
BCBSNC developed and maintained innovative family-friendly policies in the context of a sluggish economy. The company's, "A Healthy North Carolina Starts with You" campaign highlighted its efforts in the areas of maternity, paternity, adoption benefits, mentoring relationships and flexible work arrangements.
Now in its 24th year, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies program draws attention to the significant contributions working mothers make to industries and the companies that recognize the importance of tapping this essential labor pool. "We have faith that some day the programs found at the 100 Best Companies will become business norms offered by all companies," said Evans. "When the economy recovers, lagging companies will lose out on a powerful group of dedicated employees-working moms."
Methodology:
Companies were selected for the 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application with more than 500 questions on workforce, compensation, child care, flexibility programs, leave policies and more. It also surveys the usage, availability and tracking of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them. Seven areas were measured and scored: workforce profile, benefits, women's issues and advancement, child care, flexible work, parental leave and company culture. For this year's 100 Best, particular weight was given to benefits, flexibility and parental leave.
For more information on applying for the 2010 Working Mother 100 Best Companies, visit www.wmmsurveys.com. The 2010 online application will be available in mid-December and due by early March 2010. All companies that apply, including those that don't make the 100 Best list, receive feedback showing how they compare with all other applicants.
About BCBSNC:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 76 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at www.bcbsnc.com.
About Working Mother Media:
Celebrating 30 years, Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers while workingmother.com (http://www.workingmother.com/) brings to the Web a broad range of insight and solutions served to working mothers every day. Working Mother's 24-year signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work-life practices in corporate America. With offices in New York and Washington, D.C., Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp. (http://www.bonnier.com/), includes the National Association for Female Executives (http://www.nafe.com/), Diversity Best Practices (http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/), the WorkLife Congress and the Multicultural Women's Conference and Town Halls. Working Mother Media's mission is to champion cultural change.
*National statistics are taken from a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management.
Contact:
Kimberley Colvin
BCBSNC Media Line: 919-765-3005
Online Newsroom: www.bcbsnc.com/inside/newsroom.cfm
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