FINRA

It's a Fact!
Joy is from Howell, NJ, and mother to Lizzie (7).
What We Love

Administrative assistant Joy Walk is a true inspiration to her colleagues and almost everyone she meets. She searches for the good in everything that she does and strives to pass her optimistic attitude on to others.

As a working mother of a child with autism, Joy encounters additional challenges and responsibilities at home. Many parents with autistic children have to decrease their working hours or stop working altogether. But by participating in FINRA’s Flexible Work Arrangement program, Joy is able to balance her work responsibilities while always making sure she is there for her daughter.

Joy truly cares about the people she works with and the work that she does. In 2010, Joy created a running club in her Woodbridge district office as a way for colleagues to stay active and interact with each other outside of the office environment. The running club is part of FINRA’s Team Activities program and its members participate in an event every quarter.

Joy exudes a passion for the work that FINRA does and is always willing to go the extra mile in her personal and professional life.

It's a Fact!
FINRA’s Women’s Network helps female employees maximize their time with sessions on life coaching, eldercare arrangements and work-life balance.
What We Love

Families of all types are welcomed by this independent securities regulator, which provides mothers-to-be with free nurse consultations and arranges specialized care for those grappling with high-risk or difficult pregnancies. Employees who assume primary responsibility for a newborn or a newly adopted child may take 13 fully paid weeks off to make the transition, and can count on the fact that their jobs will be waiting for them when they return. To save a little money, parents take advantage of the organization’s tuition aid; pretax commuter, health-care and dependent-care accounts; and 401(k) plan, which has a generous match. If they work as professionals or managers, they can ask senior leaders for career guidance, courtesy of two pilot mentoring initiatives. Office diversity discussions, attended by Chairman and CEO Richard Ketchum, ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.

Chairman & CEO Richard Ketchum

Senior VP, HR Tracy Johnson

Women managers/execs 46% 

Women among top earners 36% 

Women hires in 2010 40% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 13 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 25%

It's a Fact!

FINRA’s Healthy Pregnancy program provides employee mothers-to-be with 24/7 access to nurses plus information

What We Love

Work is intense but meaningful for the female professionals at this independent securities regulator, which monitors more than 4,900 U.S. brokerage firms and their representatives. When they're not protecting investors' interests, moms look after themselves by working out at three on-site fitness centers, setting weight-loss goals with a wellness coach or consulting their employer's health advocate, who can connect them with a medical specialist. Flexible schedules (compressed weeks, telecommuting) are increasingly popular; if their positions allow, moms may design their work around use of these two arrangements. For emergency help with children or elders,parents can call a caregiver to their home up to 12 times per year, with fees subsidized by the company. Finally, to sharpen their professional skills, moms may apply for up to $5,250 in tuition aid annually. The new Diversity Leadership Council aims to strengthen opportunities for women.

CEO Richard Ketchum

SVP, HR Steve Jarrett

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 31%

Women among top earners 38%

Women on board of directors 14%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 11%  

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 7%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 21%

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? No

 

*Percentages reflect number of women participants versus company’s total female workforce.

It's a Fact!

FINRA’s health advocate program helps employees and their immediate relatives resolve health insurance issues.

What We Love

As the largest independent regulator of U.S. securities firms, this Washington, DC–based company operates 15 sites in three states with nearly 3,000 employees—so any child-care solution it offers must be widely available. To locate full-time care, parents can simply call FINRA’s resource and referral hotline to help them track down nurseries and day-care centers across the country. In emergencies, they can also turn to 4,000 facilities and 560 in-home care agencies, all of which offer backup care for less than $5 per hour. Should parents need more help for kids with special needs, or mental or emotional counseling for family members, they can contact a program that provides free confidential referrals. Primary caregivers receive 13 weeks of paid maternity or adoption leave, with a $4,000 benefit for the latter, and lactation rooms at seven sites enable employee moms to breastfeed.

CEO: Richard Ketchum

Senior VP, HR: Steve Jarrett

Women managers/execs: 39%

Women among top earners: 32%

Women on board of directors: 14%

Women corporate executive hires in 2008: 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year: 15%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year: Not tracked

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement: 30%

Formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance: No