Discovery Communications Named Top 10 Place to Work by Working Mother Magazine in 2010

NEW YORK and SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating its silver anniversary this year, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies initiative has selected Discovery Communications as one of the nation's top companies for family-friendly benefits and programs. Discovery, which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010, made the list for the 11th consecutive year in recognition of its continuing dedication to progressive family-friendly benefits.  

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"Working Mother magazine's recognition of Discovery Communications for the 11th straight year demonstrates how committed we are to creating a supportive and innovative work place that allows our employees to thrive," said Adria Alpert Romm, Senior Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Discovery. "On-site, full service health care in three of our offices, a child care center serving more than 100 children, fitness and education reimbursements, counseling services, and flexible hours and telework are all elements of our comprehensive package aimed at serving the varied needs of our workforce."

While the Working Mother 100 Best Companies continue expanding their benefits, those at companies nationwide 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. 

For more information on applying for the 2011 Working Mother 100 Best Companies, visit www.wmmsurveys.com. The 2011 online application will be available in mid-December and due by early March 2011.  All companies that apply, including those that don't make the 100 Best list, receive feedback showing how they compare with all other applicants.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 180 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Planet Green and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

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. Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp. (www.bonnier.com), includes the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE, www.nafe.com), Diversity Best Practices (www.diversitybestpractices.com), the WorkLife Congress and the Multicultural Women's Conference and Leadership Summits. Working Mother Media's mission is to serve as a champion of culture change.

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

SOURCE Discovery Communications

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