'Family-friendly' companies praised

Working Mother magazine named Glaxo Wellcome, Merck and Co. and Johnson & Johnson among the top 10 companies for working mothers in its annual Top 100 list.

Companies were chosen and listed alphabetically based on the following criteria: pay, opportunities for women to advance, support for child care and family-friendly benefits. According to Working Mother, companies that do well in these criteria help women balance their work and family obligations.

Merck, Whitehouse Station, NJ, has been among the top 10 nine times since the magazine first began recognizing outstanding companies 12 years ago. Merck operates child care facilities at three of its major sites to accommodate nearly 600 children.

The company also offers its employees flexible work schedules and the option of telecommuting.

Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, has been recognized in the top 10 six consecutive times and has been in the top 100 every year since Working Mother began the list. Since last year's honor, it has added two on-site child development centers to its existing four, and extended flexible work schedules to more employees.

Johnson & Johnson also boasts a family care leave policy that gives an employee up to one year off to care for a child or family member, and assures the individual of a job on upon his or her return. It does not limit sick or personal days for employees, and it will soon offer a program that educates nursing mothers about breast-feeding and provides them with a private space in which to nurse their babies after returning to work.

Glaxo Wellcome, Research Triangle Park, NC, has made the top 100 six times. The company was selected for its work/family initiatives and its health and wellness programs. Glaxo Wellcome offers summer hours, job-sharing and family-leave time, which allow employees to spend time with families and attend teacher-parent conferences. It also provides resources for elder care, adoption and child care, and on-site child development centers. Health clinics and fitness centers are located on-site to enable employees to improve their health and decrease risks. PR