Working Moms, the Principal Financial Group Salutes You
The Principal is once again named to the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” list
September 14, 2010 (Des Moines, IA) - Marking its ninth appearance, the Principal Financial Group® has been named to the Working Mother 100 Best Companies list, appearing in Working Mother magazine’s October 2010 issue.
Culture and programs supporting work-life balance, programs for women’s advancement and access to childcare greatly contributed to The Principal® once again making the impressive list.
“To once again be recognized by Working Mother speaks volumes of our continued commitment to our employees’ career growth and family priorities. We take great pride is creating a supporting environment for our working mothers and fathers,” said Ralph Eucher, senior vice president, Human Resources at The Principal. “Helping our employees strike a healthy work-life balance translates to a happier, more productive workforce and a better bottom line for the company.”
While the Working Mother 100 Best Companies continue expanding their benefits, those at companies nationwide[1] lag. Just 44 percent of American companies offer telecommuting (vs. 100 percent of the 100 Best), 17 percent offer formal mentoring (vs. 95 percent), and 37 percent offer health insurance for part-timers (vs. 100 percent). In contrast, all of the 100 Best Companies offer paid maternity leave, lactation rooms, flextime, mental health consultations and elder-care resources; and 98 percent offer health screening and wellness programs—particularly significant in a stress-inducing, poor economy.
“Twenty-five years ago, we made a bold decision to launch our Best Companies initiative and challenge businesses to address the unique needs of working mothers,” said Carol Evans, President, Working Mother Media. “The immense influx of women into the workforce demanded changes in workplace culture as companies strove to keep working moms’ talent and loyalty. Today, we celebrate our winners’ untiring commitment to their employees through an impressive array of programs.”
Profiles of the 100 Best Companies, as well as national comparisons, are in the October issue of Working Mother and at workingmother.com/bestcompanies.
Methodology
Companies were selected for the 2010 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application with more than 600 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.
About Working Mother Media
Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers; WorkingMother.com brings to the Web home and career information, advice and a broad range of solutions daily. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Working Mother’s signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, the most important benchmark for work-life practices in corporate America.
About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)[2] is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $284.7 billion in assets under management[3] and serves some 18.9 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG.
