Working Mother Magazine

Rockwell International Corp. won kudos from Working Mother magazine, thanks to programs like one-day dry-cleaning and laundry services for Seal Beach workers and day care for 250 kids in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Other Southern California companies on the magazine's Top 100 list were Mattel Inc. in El Segundo, Seagram Co.'s Universal Studios unit in Universal City, Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks, and Patagonia Inc. in Ventura. The companies weren't ranked.

Harriet E. Miers is a trailblazer among women -- the first to break the gender barrier at her Texas law firm, the first female president of the Dallas Bar Assn., the first woman elected to lead the State Bar of Texas. But in the tradition of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's latest Supreme Court nominee has climbed the ladders of power without the added responsibilities many career women face: a husband and children.

Patagonia has done it again. Months after being named one of the best companies to work for in America by Fortune magazine, the Ventura-based outdoor clothing maker has been awarded a similar honor by Working Mother magazine.

Patagonia has done it again. Months after being named one of the best companies to work for in America by Fortune magazine, the Ventura-based outdoor clothing maker has been awarded a similar honor by Working Mother magazine.

Moorpark's G.T. Water Products Inc., selected eight times for Working Mother magazine's annual list of the top 100 companies for mothers, will open enrollment at its on-site school to the general public, beginning Thursday. Since its inception in 1987, the K-12 school has been solely for the children of employees. There are currently six children enrolled, but officials said they hope to increase the number to about 20.

Even while many companies are shedding jobs, squeezing paychecks and reducing health care benefits, working parents still have at least one reason to cheer: More employers are offering flexible schedules and other help for employees with family responsibilities. That trend emerged in the new "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" survey, whose 1993 results were released Wednesday.

Patagonia in Ventura and GT Water Products in Moorpark were among 85 companies selected by Working Mother magazine as the nation's best companies for working parents. The magazine's annual ranking is based on criteria such as advancement opportunities for women, child-care support, job-protected maternity leave and flexible work scheduling.

Two Ventura County companies--G.T. Water Products Inc. of Moorpark and Patagonia Inc. of Ventura--are among 100 firms cited by Working Mother magazine as the most hospitable in the nation for women workers. G.T., a producer of plumbing products, claims to be the only company in the United States with an on-site school that offers full-time, accredited classes for employees' children beyond preschool age. The school, which is free to offspring of G.T.'

The bulls and bears are starting to welcome the kids. For the first time, two Wall Street firms--Merrill Lynch and Bankers Trust--made the Working Mother list of the best 100 companies. The 11th annual survey by Working Mother magazine also found greater use of flexible work schedules, a wider recognition of the child-care needs of employees working at branch offices and expanded leave benefits for new fathers and adoptive parents.

Home products maker S.C. Johnson Wax has a Women's Business Council to help break down barriers to advancement faced by female employees. Skokie, Ill.-based Fel-Pro, which makes car gaskets, sealants and lubricants, provides up to $6,500 in tuition reimbursements for children of its workers. And the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reserves a room for nursing mothers.

Managers at Texas Instruments will soon begin taking a class on making decisions based not only on business needs but also on workers' needs. The effort is part of a growing realization by corporate America that to be family-friendly, a company can't just set up programs on paper and wait for employees to sign up. Reflecting this growing shift, Working Mother magazine has changed the way it compiles its annual list--published today in its October issue--of the best companies for working moms.

Rockwell International Corp. won kudos from Working Mother magazine, thanks to programs like one-day dry-cleaning and laundry services for Seal Beach workers and day care for 250 kids in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Other Southern California companies on the magazine's Top 100 list were Mattel Inc. in El Segundo, Seagram Co.'s Universal Studios unit in Universal City, Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks, and Patagonia Inc. in Ventura. The companies weren't ranked.

At least one corner of Tinseltown is helping reel life adapt to real life. For the first time, a major Hollywood studio, Universal Studios, has made Working Mother magazine's prestigious list of the best 100 companies to work for. The number of Wall Street firms on the 12th annual list, released Thursday, doubled to four from last year--another sign of the growing influence of work-family concerns in industries once overwhelmingly dominated by men.

The bulls and bears are starting to welcome the kids. For the first time, two Wall Street firms--Merrill Lynch and Bankers Trust--made the Working Mother list of the best 100 companies. The 11th annual survey by Working Mother magazine also found greater use of flexible work schedules, a wider recognition of the child-care needs of employees working at branch offices and expanded leave benefits for new fathers and adoptive parents.

In the universe of child care, California is a star, according to Working Mother magazine. In fact, California tops the list of the 10 best states for child care in Working Mother's state-by-state survey, featured in the June issue of the New York-based magazine. OK, so it's an alphabetical list and the CA of California gives it listing rights over the CO of Colorado.

Moorpark's G.T. Water Products Inc., selected eight times for Working Mother magazine's annual list of the top 100 companies for mothers, will open enrollment at its on-site school to the general public, beginning Thursday. Since its inception in 1987, the K-12 school has been solely for the children of employees. There are currently six children enrolled, but officials said they hope to increase the number to about 20.

In the universe of child care, California is a star, according to Working Mother magazine. In fact, California tops the list of the 10 best states for child care in Working Mother's state-by-state survey, featured in the June issue of the New York-based magazine. OK, so it's an alphabetical list and the CA of California gives it listing rights over the CO of Colorado.

At least one corner of Tinseltown is helping reel life adapt to real life. For the first time, a major Hollywood studio, Universal Studios, has made Working Mother magazine's prestigious list of the best 100 companies to work for. The number of Wall Street firms on the 12th annual list, released Thursday, doubled to four from last year--another sign of the growing influence of work-family concerns in industries once overwhelmingly dominated by men.

Officials at Patagonia Inc. consider the bonding time between a newborn and its parents as a critical stage of the child's development. That's why the Ventura-based outdoor clothing company allows up to two months of paid child-care leave for mothers and fathers in its employ. The company also offers on-site day care for about 115 children, for which it spends more than $330,000 a year to operate. Parents pay $222 to $469 each month per child, depending on the type of care required.

Patagonia Inc., the designer and distributor of outdoor wear, offers new fathers in its employ eight weeks paid paternity leave. International Business Machines Corp. recently set aside $50 million to help employees meet child- and elder-care needs. For those and other workplace initiatives, both companies earned spots in Working Mother magazine's 10th annual roster of the country's 100 best companies for working moms. The list, in the magazine's October issue, was unveiled Monday.