It's the type of topic you'd expect bloggers to well, blog about.
For the 21st time,Working Mothers Magazine released its list of the Top 100 family friendly places to work. The news was greeted with relative silence--at least among bloggers.
To get on the list,companies have to complete a 550 quesion survey. They are ranked on seven criteria:
The application includes detailed questions about the workforce, compensation, child-care and flexibility programs, leave policies and more. The application checks the usage, availability and tracking of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them. That means it's not enough to have a great program if no one is using it.
WHAT'S MEASURED
Seven areas are measured and scored: workforce profile, compensation, child care, flexibility, time off and leaves, family-friendly programs and company culture.
If bloggers are supportive or opposed to the list, they seem to be keeping it to themselves. You have to do some deep diving to find anyone who has anything substantive about the list.
The one place that does seem to be having a conversation is in the MOMania, a blog on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by Theresa Walsh Giarrusso. It's a conversation we've heard before: working moms should not have special work privileges.
From Brian:
My company is not “mother friendlyâ€â€¦ and a good thing, too. I’ve got plenty to do without covering for someone else’s job too.
Now, if you want a realistic accommodation of people’s work/life
demands, you could push for a WORKER-friendly company: one that treats
all employees equally and recognizes that we ALL have obligations and
responsibilities outside the office. But a “mother-friendly†company?
Heck no, what a terrible idea.
From Not A Mom
I am a woman who chose not to have children, but I do have a life
outside of the office. Why should mothers get extra flexibility in
their jobs that I don’t? Personally I feel that ALL employees should
have some flexibility in their hours, no matter what their family
situation may be. We all have things we need to do outside of work. Not
just moms.
From StayInvolved
At my company your schedule and flexibility with hours is not determined by your gender but by your position and business needs.
Sorry NoKidz, sounds like you work with some terribly selfish
people. I recently had to balance work, motherhood and caring for a
dying parent. Could not have done it without the help and support of my
coworkers.
Here's a link to the top 100
So what's up with all the silence? Is it because women don't care? Do the believe the list is not relevant? Or, is it a more practical issue -- working mothers simply don't have time to weigh in on the significance, gains, surprises and trends listed in the top 100?
This is cross posted at Elana's blog FunnyBusiness .


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What is the biggest blessing motherhood brings you?

Not impressed with the list
Cassandra September 28, 2006 - 7:35amNot this year's list, but the list in general. I work for a company that for the first 2-3 years I was here, the company was on the list. It has not been on the list for the last 2-3 years, including this year. Let me tell you, I have no real idea why my company was on the list in the first place, but maybe it would still be making the list if it chose to fill out the questionnaire? It sounds like companies *choose* to fill out the questionnaire and put themselves out there in order to be evaluated. I'm skeptically as to the stringency and accuracy of the evaluations. Perhaps that is why bloggers ignore it. I think it is pretty meaningless.
I think the commenters saying we all need flexibility are on target. That I don't have kids doesn't mean I don't have other obligations. Aging parents, my own health issues, and my dog. ;) I got a "talking to" b/c I used 1.5 hours of sick time (I get 40 hours per year) to take my dog to the vet for her teeth cleaning. I argued that it was a medical appt for a dependent, but my boss so didn't care.
Cass
Patience is a virtue that takes too long