How many people can say that their employer helped their dreams come true? That was the case for 14 employees and agents at this life insurance firm in 2011, when they added to their families by utilizing up to $10,000 in aid to adopt a child and taking up to four fully paid weeks off to finalize the details. The firm would ultimately cover more than $100,000 toward their adoption costs—and no doubt change dozens of lives in the process. Making the families’ transitions easier is the presence of on-site backup care centers in New York City and Sleepy Hollow, NY, along with a new national backup care program that costs users just $10 per child per day. Whenever adoptive parents go back to work, they have the option of reducing their schedules or telecommuting parttime for six months while their households adjust.

Chairman, President & CEO Ted Mathas

Senior VP & Chief HR Officer Barry Schub 

Women managers/execs 44%

Women hires in 2011 51%

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 3

Offers paid paternity leave? Yes

Offers paid adoption leave? Yes

Women in affinity groups in 2011 30%

Offers backup child care? Yes

Employees working flexibly 85%