For the 16th year, GSK is recognized for encouraging and facilitating
mothers' return to the workforce
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For the sixteenth
consecutive year, GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) has been named one of the
"100 Best Companies" by Working Mother magazine, the company announced
today. In 2006, GSK was inducted into the Working Mother Hall of Fame in
recognition of its fifteenth consecutive year on the list.
"Every year our winning companies raise the bar for what it means to be
an employer of choice for working families," said Carol Evans, CEO and
President, Working Mother Media. "GlaxoSmithKline not only offers essential
benefits like flextime and telecommuting-they go above and beyond with a
range of best practices and policies to ease the difficulties for working
parents and their families. Their supportive culture makes a huge
difference to employees who want to be great moms and great workers."
Added Suzanne Riss, Editor-in-Chief of Working Mother magazine, "As a
working mother myself, I understand how absolutely essential it is for
companies to find ways to nurture the personal and professional lives of
employees. I commend GSK for conceiving and effectively implementing
programs and benefits that offer an inspiring paradigm for the rest of
corporate America: it is possible to be both family-friendly and
financially successful."
Working Mother measures and scores companies in seven areas when
compiling its list of the best companies for mothers: workforce profile,
compensation, child care, flexibility, time off and leaves, family-friendly
programs, and company culture. Profiled in the October issue, GSK fosters
an environment and culture that recognizes the professional and personal
needs of all employees- including working mothers.
GSK was selected for the 2007 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based
on an extensive application of 575 questions. The application included
detailed questions about workforce, compensation, child-care and
flexibility programs, leave policies, and more. It also checked 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, compensation, child care, flexibility, time off and leaves,
family-friendly programs, and company culture. For this year's 100 Best,
particular weight was given to flexibility and family-friendly policies.
"We are proud and honored to be included in the Working Mother "100
Best Companies" list again this year," said Ann Kuhnen, Vice President,
Employee Health Management Shared Services. "GSK is committed to
attracting, developing, and retaining talented individuals, and we are
pleased that the success of our efforts is once again recognized by Working
Mother."
For example, GSK offers a number of attractive options to help
employees balance their professional lives with their personal
responsibilities. Today, many women find it difficult to return to the
workforce after having children- or staying out of the workforce longer
than expected.(1)
"At GSK, more than half of our employees are women, so we have a vested
interest in encouraging them to return to work after having children-and
facilitating that process," Kuhnen said. GSK has seen significant
improvement in its employees' work/life balance by offering flexible work
schedules, including telecommuting, job-sharing, and flextime. In addition,
employees have access to company-sponsored on- or near-site child care
centers. Partial reimbursements are available for in-home backup and
sick-child care and for backup care at any sponsored center.
One of the themes of the October issue of Working Mother is benefit
equity: at the 100 Best, benefits are available to everyone-from the top
executives to hourly-wage earners. To illustrate that point, the issue
features a profile of Azalea Manley, a manufacturing operator in GSK's
Zebulon, North Carolina, plant.
GSK also offers a number of development programs for its female
employees, including the Accelerated Women's Leadership Program, the
Women's Leadership Initiative for women in sales, and Women in Science for
those working in research and development.
In addition to recognition by Working Mother, GSK has also earned a
perfect score (100%) in the US Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2007
"Best Places to Work" and an Excellence Award from the Committee
Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. Earlier this month, the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center named GSK as a finalist for a
Corporate Citizenship Award in the category of International Community
Service. The winner will be announced on November 7.
About Working Mother
Founded in 1979, Working Mother magazine reaches nearly 3 million
readers and is the only national magazine for career mothers. Its 22-year
signature initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most
important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. The
publication also releases the annual list of the Best Companies for
Multicultural Women in the June issue. Working Mother is published by
Working Mother Media (WMM), which also owns the National Association for
Female Executives (NAFE), NAFE Magazine, the annual 100 Best Companies
WorkLife Congress, as well as the Best Companies for Multicultural Women
Conference and regional Town Halls. In 2006, WMM acquired Diversity Best
Practices, the preeminent organization for diversity thought leaders.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline-one of the world's leading research-based
pharmaceutical and healthcare companies-is committed to improving the
quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live
longer. For company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline on the World Wide
Web at http://www.gsk.com.
Editor's Note: For more information on the 2007 Working Mother 100 Best
Companies and for a complete list of winners, visit http://www.workingmother.com.
(1) McGrath M, Driscoll M, Gross M. "Back in the Game-Returning to
Business After a Hiatus: Experiences and Recommendations for Women,
Employers, and Universities." Wharton Center for Leadership and Change.
June 2005.
SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline
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