The best companies for working mothers

Thu, Sep 18, 2014, 8:31 AM

Sometimes the simplest idea is the best idea. Take mentoring, for example. It's a proven strategy for senior employees to help junior employees succeed, and it's a key component of the companies included in Working Mother magazine's list of the 100 best companies for working mothers.

Ninety-eight of Working Mother Magazine's top 100 companies have a formal mentoring program, and just over 60 of them take it a step further, offering a sponsorship program. Jennifer Owens, editorial director of Working Mother Media, explains in the video above how that works: "I, as a higher executive take you as a lower executive and say 'I am personally responsible for making sure you are considered for new jobs.' That's sponsorship."

And apparently it does work. At the companies included in the Working Mother list the promotion rates for female managers and executives is 42%. That's good news for the 70% of mothers working in the U.S, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But promotions are not the only benefit the top 100 companies share. Most also offer flexible schedules, telecommuting, seven weeks full paid maternity leave, five weeks paid adoption leave and three weeks paid paternity leave. Many also offer weekday and sick child care and phase in returns from paid leaves.

So who are these top companies? They cover a range of industries but several lead: consulting firms, health care-related companies, financial firms and consumer companies. Big household names like General Mills (GM) and Procter & Gamble (PG) also dominate the list.

The top 10 companies for working mothers are: