Diageo Named One Of 100 Best Companies For Working Mothers By Working Mother Magazine

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Sep 17, 2010, 03:15 ET

NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading premium spirits, beer and wine company, has been named one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine for the second year in a row, due to its unwavering dedication to family-friendly benefits. Diageo is recognized alongside the world's most progressive companies who endeavor to help mothers excel in the workplace while balancing the demands of a family. With top marks in workforce profile, compensation, benefits, women's advancement, child care, flexibility, company culture, time off and leaves, Diageo is distinguished as a proud leader and committed advocate of family-friendly workplaces. This year's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" marks the 25th anniversary of the workplace ranking which has set the standard for programs and policies that support, attract and retain working moms.

"We are excited to announce Diageo's selection as one of the '100 Best Companies for Working Mothers' in 2010," said Jennifer Owens, Senior Director, Editorial Research & Initiatives for Working Mother magazine. "The company has a demonstrated dedication to supporting moms through a range of initiatives, including a childcare resource and referral service and 18 job-guaranteed weeks off for employees who welcome a new child into their families."

"This distinction acknowledges, for the second year in a row, our commitment to supporting working families," said Eliana Zem, Senior Vice President Human Resources, Diageo North America. "Our employees are what make this business truly special, and I'm honored that Working Mother magazine has recognized the efforts we have made in working with them to help maintain a balance between work and home lives."

While the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" continue expanding their benefits, companies nationwide(1) lag. Just 44 percent of American companies offer telecommuting (vs. 100 percent of the 100 Best) and 37 percent offer health insurance for part-timers (vs. 100 percent of the 100 Best). 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.

Diageo's flexible working arrangements, which include job share, flextime, compressed hours and opportunities to work from home, are all available to ensure that employees with diverse needs can balance their personal and work responsibilities. Employees are provided with programs such as back-up daycare, and college placement assistance, and many office locations offer on-site services to help employees ease the tension between work responsibilities and a balanced life, including health clubs, laundry and dry cleaning services, and even film development and banking services. Diageo encourages its employees to work closer to their homes and families, and should any existing policies not meet the personal needs of Diageo's employee-base – particularly parents and mothers who face unique challenges – the company strives to support new ideas from its staff.

"The flexible working arrangement has allowed me to balance being a new mom while progressing my career," said Nyree Pinto, Director Communication, Diageo North America. "I take full advantage of the opportunity to work from home and on most Fridays, I do just that. Not only do I gain an additional two hours in my day by avoiding the commute, but I also get to work in my home office, which is personalized to my style and my needs."

Diageo was selected for the 2010 "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" based on an extensive application with more than 600 questions on workforce, compensation, child care, flexibility programs, leave policies and more. The ranking 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.

(1) National statistics are taken from a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

About Working Mother Media

Celebrating 30 years, Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers while workingmother.com brings to the Web a broad range of insight and solutions served to working mothers every day. Working Mother's 24-year signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work-life practices in corporate America. With offices in New York and Washington, D.C., Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp., includes the National Association for Female Executives, Diversity Best Practices, the WorkLife Congress and the Multicultural Women's Conference and Town Halls. Working Mother Media's mission is to champion cultural change.

SOURCE Diageo