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The Top 30
Fifty-five employers participated in BUSINESS WEEK's survey to gauge
family-friendliness. The top 30, rated on their strategies and on employees' assessments, don't all
have great benefits. But most have cultures that accept employees' lives
outside work and encourage job flexibility.
PROGRAMS & EMPLOYEE
S&P 500 COMPANIES STRATEGIES RESPONSE
1. MBNA AMERICA A A
Strong culture and nearly every program in the book--except telecommuting
2. MOTOROLA A- A-
Continuous communication via dedicated intranet site and electronic kiosks
3. BARNETT BANKS A- A-
On-site primary school, car cleaning; employees applaud raft of benefits
4. HEWLETT-PACKARD B+ A-
Many employees work flexible schedules, but some doubt ability to advance
5. UNUM B B+
Strong dependent care and flexibility; intense jobs, long hours for many
6. LINCOLN NATIONAL B+ B+
Insurer's workers say managers support families, but cite job insecurity
7. MERRILL LYNCH B+ B+
Use of alternative work arrangements has tripled in the last year
8. DUPONT A- B
Top-notch programs include ''just-in-time'' dependent care, adoption help
9. TRW B B+
Exceptional community programs in daycare, early childhood education
10. CIGNA B B
Mostly female workers drive programs; 500 part-time managers, professionals
11. LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES B- B+
Spin-off inherited AT&T's programs; co-develops strategies with union
12. ITT HARTFORD B B
A raft of programs at headquarters; spotty availability at some branch offices
13. AMGEN C A-
Biotech leader has little job flexibility, but workers cite strong family
support
14. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS B B-
Fledgling strategy still weakened by workers' fear of career risk
15. ROCKWELL INT'L B B-
On-site shoe repair, pharmacy; but workers question company's commitment
16. MARRIOTT INT'L B- B
Wrestles creatively with complex low-income, multilingual workforce
17. FIRST CHICAGO NBD B- B-
Managers must get work-family training and submit plan to expand flexibility
18. BAXTER INT'L B- B-
Pushing to promote flexible schedules; some cultural issues in manufacturing
19. MEDTRONIC B- B-
Wide job flexibility, sick-child care; employees question management support
20. AUTODESK C B+
Weak programs, but informal culture--''Bring your dog to work''--wins results
NON-S&P 500 COMPANIES*
1. FIRST TENNESSEE BANK A- A
One of few employers to measure effect of work-family strategies on profits
2. SEQUENT COMPUTER SYS... A- A-
Team-oriented software maker provides on-site kindergarten, first grade
3. CALVERT GROUP A- A
Socially responsible mutual-fund group pays child care for business travelers
4. SAS INSTITUTE B- A
Software maker's strong campus-based culture overshadows some inflexibility
5. EDDIE BAUER B A
Retailer offers flexibility and broad benefits; some store workers miss out
6. EDWARD D. JONES B- A-
Local managers determine flexibility in insurer's 3,500 branch offices
7. COMMERCIAL FINL.
SVCES. C+ A
All employees and families invited to company-paid cruise or resort trip
8. BE&K B B+
Construction company offers flexibility to workers in remote locations
9. LANCASTER LABORA-
TORIES B B
On-site adult day care and childcare; some workers say it's too expensive
10. KPMG PEAT MARWICK B B
Long hours, high job demands--but for professionals, some flexibility
NOTES: ''Programs and Strategies'' grades reflect results from questionnaires
completed by human resources executives. Employers were graded on the
percentage of workforce to which a range of programs is available. Flexible
work arrangements counted for 25% of the total; family and dependent care, 20%;
other programs, 15%; work-family organizational infrastructure, 10%. Also, 10%
was awarded for availability of programs to hourly, part-time, and contingent
workers, and 20% was determined by an assessment of strategy and business
rationale. A letter grade of ''A'' reflects a score of at least 85. ''Employee
Response'' reflects results from a multiple-choice questionnaire sent to 500
randomly selected workers at each company, of which an average of 43% were
returned. Employees' assessment of their quality of work life counted for 30%
of the total; job flexibility, 30%; family-friendly culture, 30%; and overall
family-friendliness, 10%. A letter grade of ''A'' reflects a score of at least
77. ''Programs and Strategies'' counted for 40% of the overall score;
''Employee response'' counted for 60%.
*Includes smaller or privately held companies.
DATA: BOSTON COLLEGE CENTER FOR WORK & FAMILY, BW RESEARCH ASSISTANT: WALDA
LAURENCEAU
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Updated Sept. 4, 1997 by bwwebmaster
Copyright 1997, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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