Adopting five children in six years is a huge accomplishment—and Teddi Hernandez, a platform imagineer at this greeting-card company, was able to use its generous amounts of time off and adoption aid to make her dream come true. When her son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, the company proved to be even more compassionate, allowing her to work as little as 20 hours per week, enough to maintain family health insurance. Now back at work full-time, Hernandez attends headquarters’ monthly support group for parents of children with autism and related spectrum disorders. If she even needs wiggle room, she can flex her hours (which 60% of workers did in 2010) or tap a $1,000 annual backup-care reimbursement.

President & CEO Donald Hall, Jr.

Senior VP, HR Bob Bloss

Women managers/execs 62% 

Women among top earners 56% 

Women hires in 2010 88% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 6 

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 60%

At monthly gatherings, Hallmark’s female leaders talk to up-and-coming women about the lessons they have learned during their careers.

Employing 40,000 people in 50 states, this greeting-card company marked its 100th birthday this year. But it's still got a small-town vibe, offering lunchtime talks on "Parenting with Love and Logic‚" and supplying turkey dinners at Thanksgiving. Mothers rely on its annual tuition aid of $3,500, five days of free backup care each year, free elder-care assessments and the Parent Support Group. Employees ride bikes together, play softball and even carpool home together at night, using 21 company vans bought for that purpose. At monthly gatherings, female leaders talk to up-and-coming women about the lessons they have learned during their careers; last year, women represented 63% of all managers and executives at the company. Free classes on investment diversification and maximizing the company retirement plan help employees build their wealth.

President & CEO Donald Hall, Jr.

Corporate Services Manager Christine Rankin

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 63%

Women among top earners 57%

Women on board of directors 14%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 1%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 0%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 28%

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

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

At Hallmark HQ, elder-care speakers educate sandwich-generation staffers on important aging-related topics, from Alzheimer’s to Medicaid benefits.

Family comes in all shapes and sizes, a fact acknowledged by this acclaimed company’s greeting cards—and its employee benefits. To support new parents, the company offers 26 weeks of job-guaranteed leave, with a $3,500 benefit if they adopt. “Hallmark puts adoption within reach of those who can’t afford it,” raves project manager Wendy Folger, who used the money to help bring home her two daughters. Workers with young children at the Kansas City, MO, company can access eight near-site child-care centers and childcare resource and referral, and two days of backup care are free each year.

President & CEO: Donald Hall, Jr.

Work-life Consultant: Amy Winterscheidt

Women managers/execs: 63%

Women among top earners: 43%

Women on board of directors: 13%

Women corporate executive hires in 2008: 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year: 35%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year: 60%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement: 6%

Formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance: No