Yale University Recognized for Family-Friendly Employment Policies

Yale University’s employees enjoy family friendly benefits including five day-care centers on campus.
Yale University Recognized for Family-Friendly Employment Policies
9/16/2010
Updated:
9/16/2010
[xtypo_dropcap]Y[/xtypo_dropcap]ale University gained a place on Working Mother Magazine’s top 100 family-friendly companies list for 2010, offering its employees time flexibility, three different retirement options, and lactation rooms.

Working Mother Magazine is geared toward the advancement of women who must fulfill responsibilities both as mothers and as employees.

Its 100 Best Companies list has become somewhat of an authority on equitable and family-friendly companies. The magazine’s experts assess companies’ employment policies looking for things like flextime, telecommuting, and temporary part-time employment options. This year, the magazine focused on childcare, flexibility, and paid time off and leave as key factors.

The only educational institute to find a place on the Best Companies list, Yale University has five day-care centers on campus providing care for children from infancy to kindergarten. The university also grants its employees who may need to travel away from home for work trips up to $1,000 for child care expenses.

“I am delighted that Yale is receiving this national recognition as a great place to work for women and working mothers,” said Yale President Richard Levin in a press release. “We believe that having a flexible and family-friendly work environment is important as it helps us to attract and retain top talent at every level of the university.”

Home buyers working at the university are also eligible to receive a $30,000 grant from their university during the first 10 years of their ownership. Health care is free for any employee making less than $83,000 a year and working more than 20 hours a week. The university also gives its employees access to a health care center 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with free, confidential counseling for family members experiencing stress management issues, or needing other kinds of support.

Companies can apply for a place on the 100 best list by answering 600 questions about their childcare options, flexibility programs, and leave policies. They must also submit an essay about the best practices to support working mothers.

“Yale sets the bar for initiatives supporting employee families, which include giving parents five onsite childcare centers and up to 40 hours of subsidized backup childcare annually,” said Jennifer Owens, senior director, Editorial Research & Initiatives at Working Mother.

The list is not ranked, but presented in alphabetical order. Yale-New Haven Hospital also earned a place on the list, contributing to Connecticut having six employers chosen.