Magazine names 100 best US employers for parents

CHICAGO, Sep 23 (Reuters) Women juggling a career and child-rearing may feel they lose out both ways, but Janet Truncale, a mother of three, became a partner at her accounting firm despite working flexible hours.

Truncale's firm, Ernst&Young -- which provides workers with a weekly visit from a child psychologist, free lactation consulting and free breast pumps -- earned a spot on the Top Ten of Working Mother magazine's annual list of the best 100 US companies to work for.

Eighteen new US companies made the magazine's list, which hits newsstands on Monday. Hundreds of companies apply for the honor that is used as a recruiting tool and helps in retaining workers, said Editor-in-chief Suzanne Riss.

''What was very impressive this year were the leave policies,'' Riss said in an interview with Reuters. ''We saw nice improvement in paid adoption and paid paternity leaves.'' ''Companies keep raising the bar,'' she said. ''Women don't have to make that wrenching decision whether to have kids or a rewarding career.'' Top among working mothers' desires are flexibility in the hours they work and the availability of job sharing and telecommuting, Riss said.

All but two companies on the list offered job sharing, compared to 18 per cent of US companies overall.

Other perks offered by most companies on the list such as child and elder care, health insurance for part-time workers and domestic partners and a compressed work week were only rarely provided by U.S. employers.

Companies making a perennial appearance on the 21-year-old list were IBM Corp., Johnson&Johnson, Merck&Co. Inc. and Procter&Gamble Co.

Twenty-eight companies on the magazine's list were in the financial services industry, including three of the top four US accounting firms, and 17 were in the health care field.

Auto giant DaimlerChrysler AG made the list, as did tiny retailer Patagonia. Cornell University and Harvard University and three law firms were also named.

Every employee from executive to factory worker must have access to the perks to qualify, Riss said, and the magazine puts onsiderable weight on how many employees use the benefits.

Truncale said she hired a nanny and has a supportive family and network of other mothers to help with her three young children, but the firm gave her flexibility to come and go and to compress her workweek. The flexibility made her work harder, she said.

''I've seen friends at other companies leave because they went on flexible schedules and the promotion course wasn't still open to them,'' said Ms Truncale, who made partner after 11 years with Ernst&Young.

The firm has adopted generous leave policies for both men and women and adjusts employees' workload to compensate for the Ten per cent who adopt flexible schedules, human resources executive Billie Williamson said.

The proliferation of laptop computers and other devices such as the Blackberry allow for expansion of where employees can get work done.

''I don't think it shatters the glass ceiling,'' Williamson said, referring to the barrier to promotion felt by many women who have a family. ''But it gives young women in our firm the clear message that they can be great mothers as well as have a dynamic career.'' REUTERS BDP VC0920