CHICAGO – Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is pleased to announce that for the third consecutive year, it has been recognized among the nation’s 100 Best Companies by Working Mother magazine for its unwavering dedication to family-friendly benefits. Katten and the other winning companies pioneer programs that support families, offering flex time, on-site lactation, telecommuting, job-sharing and wellness programs. In addition, financial programs available at the 100 Best Companies, like tuition reimbursement, retirement planning and pre-tax FSAs for childcare, provide a much-needed boost for families in today’s economy. Katten is one of only a handful of law firms nationwide to be ranked among Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies. The firm has also been ranked among Working Mother’s 50 Best Law Firms for the last three years.
“The Working Mother 100 Best Companies stand head and shoulders above the rest,” said Carol Evans, President of Working Mother Media. “For example, in the last year, we saw the number of companies nationwide offering flexible work arrangements diminish five percentage points, while the 100 Best Companies stayed steady at 100 percent. The 100 Best provide leadership where and when we need it most, furnishing a framework of support for working families during good times and bad. If all companies adopted these best practices, more families could weather the economic storm.”
Profiles of the 100 Best Companies, as well as national comparisons, are in the October issue of Working Mother and at workingmother.com/bestcompanies.
“Moms are increasingly becoming the sole breadwinners in many households as men lose their jobs at a higher rate than women,” said Suzanne Riss, Editor in Chief of Working Mother magazine. “Now more than ever, our readers and all working mothers need the support of their employers. By offering benefits like paid maternity leave, the ability to work from home and wellness programs, as well as programs that enhance financial well-being, our 100 Best are helping to reduce stress in the busy lives of working moms. These companies epitomize family-friendly support at its best.”
Even in tough economic times, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies employ creative programs that help employees in all areas of their lives. At Katten, the Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF) drives the firm’s commitment to the development, retention and advancement of women, and provides a forum for its women attorneys to discuss issues and share information. The WLF has been instrumental in organizing firmwide training in areas such as business development and networking, and in forming mentoring groups to improve communication among women attorneys within the firm. It hosts regular internal events and roundtable sessions to discuss specific issues that impact women in the legal workplace today, including leveraging a professional presence, balancing work and life, achieving financial wellness, and unleashing the power of personality for more success. Outside of the firm, the WLF has joined with several organizations that support and value the advancement of women to sponsor key events.
Now in its 24th year, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies program draws attention to the significant contributions working mothers make to industries and the companies that recognize the importance of tapping this essential labor pool. “We have faith that some day the programs found at the 100 Best Companies will become business norms offered by all companies,” said Evans. “When the economy recovers, lagging companies will lose out on a powerful group of dedicated employees—working moms.”
Methodology: Companies were selected for the 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application with more than 500 questions on workforce, compensation, child care, flexibility programs, leave policies and more. It also surveys the usage, availability and tracking of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them. Seven areas were measured and scored: workforce profile, benefits, women’s issues and advancement, child care, flexible work, parental leave and company culture. For this year’s 100 Best, particular weight was given to benefits, flexibility and parental leave.
For more information on applying for the 2010 Working Mother 100 Best Companies, visit www.wmmsurveys.com. The 2010 online application will be available in mid-December and due by early March 2010. All companies that apply, including those that don’t make the 100 Best list, receive feedback showing how they compare with all other applicants.
