09/16/96 TABLE: Grading Family-Friendliness

Grading Family-Friendliness

Here are the 10 top-scoring companies in BUSINESS WEEK's first-ever rating of work and family strategies. Many employers extend workers some child-care assistance and flexible work options, among other family-friendly programs. This study, though, assessed not only what companies offer but also whether employees feel they're able to use such benefits without putting their careers at risk. These leading companies lived up to their promises. DUPONT A child-care pioneer in 1984, the chemical giant now has work-life committees at 15 sites. Offers flextime, job-sharing, and telecommuting across its workforce. Employees praise supervisors for flexibility on family needs but cite low job security. EDDIE BAUER The pay isn't great, but employees like the hours and say management demonstrates impressive family support. A host of innovative programs, including lactation rooms, take-out dinners, and one paid ``Balance Day'' off a year. ELI LILLY CEO Randall Tobias has been an aggressive champion of work-family balance as a business strategy. His message is reinforced by many task forces and employee surveys. Yet workers say having a family life and getting ahead professionally still isn't easy. FIRST TENNESSEE BANK A powerful companywide commitment to family issues, employees say, despite pay and benefits below that of other leaders. Worker teams set their own schedules and say flexibility is central to company culture. Family-friendliness, the bank says, produces better customer service. HEWLETT-PACKARD The technology blue chip integrates family support into business strategies at the business unit level, spurred by CEO Lewis Platt. Managers take work-life training. Employees say they feel comfortable taking time off for family problems. The downside: Lots of stress. MBNA AMERICA BANK It offers a plethora of family programs and benefits--but typically not to the majority of workers. Nonetheless, the bank won the highest grades from employees, who cited both strong programs and job flexibility. Weakness: Spillover from work into home life. MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL Workers show high job satisfaction, despite low marks for pay and benefits. The hotelier is rolling out a national Associate Resource Line to address family concerns of its hourly workers. So far, employees say programs are good, but not great, at meeting their needs. MERRILL LYNCH A relative latecomer to work-family strategies, the investment bank is still ramping up programs and training. Employees recognize this weakness, but say that despite high stress, the company doesn't ask too much at the expense of family. MOTOROLA Executives recognize that work-life balance plays a strategic role in long-term financial success. Management and employee training on family issues is pervasive. Upshot: Employees laud programs and job flexibility, but aren't as happy with their hours and pay. UNUM LIFE INSURANCE Strong employee orientation is ingrained in the company culture, and programs respond to many task forces and regular surveys. Workers report long hours and relatively low job security but say family programs and flexibility meet their needs. DATA: BOSTON UNIVERSITY CENTER ON WORK & FAMILY; BUSINESS WEEK. RESEARCH ASSISTANTS: SUSAN BRANDNER, MELISSA EDDY; Research Assistants: Susan Brandner, Melissa Eddy BILLIONS EMPLOYEES PROGRAMS RATING DUPONT $42.2 56,825 A B+ EDDIE BAUER 1.4 9,238 B+ A- ELI LILLY 6.8 12,826 A- B FIRST TENNESSEE BANK 0.4 8,000 A- A HEWLETT-PACKARD 31.5 60,000 B+ A- MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL 0.9 175,000 B+ B+ MBNA AMERICA BANK 2.6 12,495 C+ A MERRILL LYNCH 21.5 40,000 B B+ MOTOROLA 27.0 75,000 A A- UNUM LIFE INSURANCE 4.1 4,456 B+ A- NOTES: Letter grades approximate quantitative scores from two surveys. ``Strategy and Programs'' grades reflect results from questionnaires completed by human resources executives at 37 companies, counting for 40% of the total score. Employers were graded on the percentage of workforce to which a range of programs was available. Flexible work arrangements counted for 8% of the score; family and dependent care, 8%; and health and wellness programs, 8%. Companies were awarded up to 4 points for offering programs to hourly and part-time workers, and 8 more points for a work-family organizational infrastructure. An assessment of strategy and culture counted for 8 points. A letter grade of ``A'' on this portion corresponds to a score of at least 32 on the 40-point scale. ``Employee Rating'' reflects the combined results from a multiple-choice questionnaire sent to 500 randomly selected workers at each company, of which an average of 44% were returned. Employees were asked to rate various attributes of their companies on a five-point scale. This survey counted for 60% of the total score, as follows: Quality of work life, including hours and pay, 18%; flexibility in practice, 18%; family-friendly culture, 18%; overall assessment of work-family environment, 6%. A letter grade of ``A'' on this portion corresponds to a score of at least 45 on the 60-point scale. Certain survey responses that did not meet tests for statistical viability were removed from the results.