EMPLOYEES 28,858  WOMEN 13,643
WOMEN LEADERS 2,683
WOMEN IN TOP 20% BY PAY 1,909
WOMEN ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2

FLEX APPEAL This work/life leader really gets the message out about flex: About 65% of employees use some form of alternative work arrangement, and most have been supplied with the computers, software and remote access they need to work from home. The firm encourages job-sharing or part-time options when staffers want a break from full-time work.

CHILD-CARE KUDOS On-site day care at headquarters, discounts at regional and national child-care facilities and free resource and referral services ensure that parents are never without help. During the summer, the firm offers a camp and a volunteer program for kids in sixth through ninth grades.

WHAT'S COOL Abbott offers free on-site financial seminars on saving for college or retirement and just launched a website that helps new employees find dependent care, educational info and relocation assistance.

LEAVES WE LOVE Salaried new moms with one year of service receive six paid weeks off for maternity leave (with the option of taking another six unpaid weeks off), while fathers and adoptive parents get two paid weeks off. Employees can take personal leaves of six months or more without jeopardizing their job.

PHASE BACK Various flex options help new moms ease back into their job after maternity leave, while private lactation rooms and discounted breast pumps aid breastfeeding moms.

EMPLOYEES 28,250  WOMEN 11,499
WOMEN LEADERS 3,554
WOMEN IN TOP 20% BY PAY 1,450
WOMEN ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2

FLEX APPEAL It's easy to see how committed this firm is to helping its employees balance their personal and professional lives. About 60% of its staffers flex their hours or telecommute, and they only need to work an hour a week to earn health-care benefits. In response to recent staff surveys, the firm reduced overtime work, shortened business trips and added more opportunities for employees to adjust their daily schedules.

CHILD-CARE KUDOS A quarter of all employees have children under the age of 12, and they frequently contact the firm's resource and referral service to locate care. When their regular arrangements fall through, they can call a toll-free backup-care hotline for help that costs just $2 to $4 per hour. Staffers who prefer to have a neighbor or friend look after their child are eligible for a $50 reimbursement per use.

WOMEN LEADERS Women already make up 19% of corporate executives, but quarterly group reviews ensure that future female stars are identified. The number of women in senior
executive positions has been climbing for five years in a row. New female executives are
invited to breakfast receptions at which they learn about the role of female leaders and the importance of mentoring other women.

LEAVES WE LOVE New moms with one year of service may take up to 64 weeks off--yes, up to 15 months!--when they deliver or adopt a child. Birthmothers are fully paid for eight weeks of that leave, while adoptive parents are paid for four weeks. Dads are eligible for 13 job-guaranteed weeks off, with one week paid.

EMPLOYEES 37,219  WOMEN 22,140
WOMEN LEADERS 2,159
WOMEN IN TOP 20% BY PAY 2,945
WOMEN ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2

FLEX APPEAL Employees are in good hands with this top financial services firm, where innovative work/life policies help them maintain balance in their lives. More than half of staffers flex their hours, a quarter telecommute, and a tenth compress their schedules. Job-shares and part-time work are also popular.

CHILD-CARE KUDOS Kids enjoy a wide range of educational activities at headquarters' on-site and near-site day-care centers. Parents can also use the firm's child-care resource and referral services and an online backup-care locator. A special Summer of Service program in three locations gets tweens involved in community and cultural activities.

WHAT WORKS Women are rising in the ranks: They make up about a third of all senior managers, directors, officers, top earners and students in the firm's on-site executive MBA program. Staffers are granted $5,250 in tuition reimbursement each year for certification courses or job-related classes.

LEAVES WE LOVE Parents can take up to 38 weeks of job-guaranteed time off. New moms are eligible for up to two paid weeks of short-term disability after one year of service and may supplement that with extra days from their paid time off bank. Staffers who adopt may have $5,000 in costs reimbursed.

EMPLOYEES 7,009  WOMEN 5,075
WOMEN LEADERS 1,178
WOMEN IN TOP 20% BY PAY 760
WOMEN ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS 5

FLEX APPEAL This trailblazing firm truly is "the company for women," as its tagline says. Avon allows its employees--most of whom are women--to find the freedom they need, thanks to flextime, compressed workweeks, job-sharing and telecommuting. Staffers can also switch from full-time to part-time when the need arises. 

CHILD-CARE KUDOS In addition to a company-sponsored child-care facility in Rye, NY, the firm offers a 10% discount through a national day-care chain and just partnered with an online "matchmaker," providing staffers with free access to a child-care resource library and 25% discounts on matchmaking services.

WHAT WORKS Avon's long history of serving women has fostered a truly inclusive culture. Women make up 72% of the staff, and their career advancement is supported by a variety of mentoring, leadership training and executive succession programs. More than half (54%) of the firm's top-earning employees are women.

LEAVES WE LOVE Adoptive moms enjoy the same eight weeks of fully paid leave that birthmothers receive. Secondary caregivers (including dads) are given two weeks of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child.

WHAT'S COOL Women employees are entitled to a generous $10,000 adoption reimbursement and are offered unlimited coverage for in-vitro fertilization procedures.

PHASE BACK With management approval, employees may apply to work reduced hours or a flexible schedule for up to a month after returning from parental leave.