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New ideas are everything in business. Companies need them to sharpen
their competitive edge, attract and retain top talent and propel
profits. Our Hall of Fame inductees know this well. Having landed a
spot on the Working Mother 100 Best for 15 years or more, these
forward-thinking companies have been making all the right moves and
setting the gold standard. This year, we invite three new honorees to
our roster: GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Trust and The Phoenix Companies.
To get a sense of the latest thinking about family-friendly policies,
we went right to the source and asked our Hall of Fame leaders to share
their strategies on staying power, the return on investment for
work/life benefits and what's coming down the pike. Here's a look at
what's percolating in the minds of some of the country's most
influential work/life leaders.
The Working Mother 100 Best Companies 2006 Hall of Fame
Allstate Insurance Company
American Express Company
Bank of America
Citigroup Inc.
DuPont
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
Hewlett-Packard Company
IBM Corporation
Johnson & Johnson
Lincoln Financial Group
Marriott International Inc.
Merck & Company Inc.
Northern Trust Corporation
Patagonia Inc.
The Phoenix Companies Inc.
The Procter & Gamble Company
Prudential Financial
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
Allstate Insurance Co.
Edward M. Liddy, Chairman and CEO
"I'm convinced that the competition for talent will spell the
difference between success and failure for a lot of companiesin the
next ten years. This has profound implications for the sort of
work/life benefits companies offer their employees if they want to
attract and retain the best talent. In the future, I expect the
importance of work/life balance benefits to only increase. For example,
all of our measurements and feedback tell us that things like elder
care and employee education and development are two areas in particular
that we need to have on our radar screens."
American Express Co.
Kenneth Chenault, Chairman and CEO
"Having an inspired and engaged workforce is key to providing customers
with exceptional products and service. We must acknowledge employee
needs, not only in the workplace but in their personal lives. Whether
employees are getting an advanced degree, raising children, caring for
an elderly relative or volunteering in their communities, we need to
look for ways to support them."
Bank of America
Kenneth D. Lewis, Chairman, CEO and President
"Being a leader in work/life benefits is just like being a leader in
any other business endeavor.
You start with the right values, and take
action through disciplined execution, measurement and accountability.
Listen to what associates need, set the tone for taking action at the
top of the company and build a culture in which people are required to
take care of people."
Citigroup Inc.
Charles Prince, CEO and Chairman
"Citigroup launched a global flexible work initiative in the fall of
2005, and since then more than four thousand employees in thirty-five
countries have already submitted flexible work plans. Through
strategies like this, we hope to foster a work environment that helps
employees meet their professional and personal goals."
DuPont
Charles Holliday, Jr., Chairman and CEO
"Support for working parents is directly aligned with our core values.
That support—and work/life balance in general—is also a smart
investment in recruiting and retaining talent. Internal andexternal
surveys continue to support the fact that work/life programs are a
critical
factor in a candidate's decision to join a company, as well as a factor in whether an employee chooses to stay or leave."
GlaxoSmithKline
Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO
"Operating in a 24/7, highly competitive, global work environment puts
tremendous demands on our employees. So we strive to create a culture
of resilience. Being able to identify and resolve workplace pressures
is critical to balancing an employee's busy personal and professional
life. Being flexible, keeping balanced—this is what makes GSK a company
where the best people do their best work."
IBM Corp.
Mark Loughridge, SVP and CFO
"Flexibility in when and where work gets done will become a necessary
staple—not an accommodation. In this global economy of 24/7 work,
employees will need more autonomy and tools to assist them in managing
workloads. Employees' needs change in the different cycles of their
work and lives. As the saying goes, 'It's not your father's company
anymore.' Well, it's also not your father's workday and workstyle
anymore."
Johnson & Johnson
William C. Weldon, Chairman and CEO
"We are a leader, but that doesn't mean we don't have room to improve
and to continue to challenge ourselves to get better. The essence of
it, really, is, How do we create opportunities for our employees to
excel and also find that balance they look for? We create an
environment that's very positive so people want to come work here."
Marriott International Inc.
J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO
"To retain the best and brightest talent, we must foster a work
environment that supports greater quality of life. At Marriott
International, a variety of programs
is available, including flexible schedules, child care and a
twenty-four-hour toll-free number that provides referral services,
confidential advice and counseling
for work and personal life concerns."
Merck & Co. Inc.
Richard T. Clark, President and CEO
"Committed to discovering innovative medicines that serve unmet medical
needs, we at Merck recognize how important it is to bring out the
absolute best in our employees. To help do that, we provide resources
to ensure that they are able to make their own well-being and that of
their families their top priority. We will continue to offer our
employees cutting-edge work/life balance programs."
Northern Trust Corp.
William A. Osborn, CEO and Chairman
"Companies need to focus on theirpeople. By putting people at the
center of everything they do, companies can be more effective at
establishing the needed resources that can help balance the challenges
of combining people's personal and professional lives. The result is a
better quality of life for everyone."
Patagonia Inc.
Casey Sheahan, CEO and President
"To be a leader in the area of work/life benefits, you have to take a holistic
approach to managing employees. We recognize the many hats they wear—
parent, rock climber, manager or snowboarder. We give them tools to
help with work/life balance. This basic level of respect and investment
generates greater loyalty and an increased commitment
to Patagonia's mission and core values."
The Phoenix Companies Inc.
Dona D. Young, Chairman, President and CEO
"To be a leader we must treat employees with respect and provide an
environment in which men and women can thrive in their careers and
manage work/life demands. Phoenix has a long history
of treating an employee as a valued, total person. I'm committed to
continuing that legacy so Phoenix is seen as the company of choice for
talented people."
The Procter & Gamble Co.
A.G. Lafley, Chairman, President and Chief Executive
"Our people are the foundation of P&G's success. Working parents
are able to take advantage of a broad range of P&G benefits, from
parental leave and adoption support to flexible benefits and on-site
day care. By providing meaningful work/life benefits to working
parents, we are able to help support—and retain—talented working
parents over the long term. And that's a win all around."
Prudential Financial
Arthur F. Ryan, Chairman and CEO
"To be a work/life leader, you have to appreciate your employees'
diversity—know who they are and understand what they need. You also
have to develop strategies that not only support employees but also
serve the business. Leadership commitment is critical, as
is a determination to be in it for the long haul. That creates culture change, and that produces results."
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
H. Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO
"One of our most important goals is to have a culture that represents
the best place to work so we can attract and retain the best people.
Every day, our people—from the lab to the factory floor to
marketing—work to create an engaging, motivating, flexible culture.
Creating this culture is one of the more essential things that we can
do to win in the marketplace. It is also simply the right thing to do."
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