Jump in the shower. Blow dry your hair. Apply makeup and wake up the kids. Run to the kitchen and make breakfast for everyone. Remind the kids to brush their teeth. Sign the permission slips and homework assignments and shuttle everyone to school.
Ahhhh…time to relax? No way; now it’s time for the paying full-time job. The life of a working mother can be a juggling act. That’s why some of the Midlands’ premier companies have decided to make it a little easier for the women who try to balance work and family.
These companies are the best of the best when it comes to providing an ideal environment for working moms. Take a peek and see why their employees love working there.
Palmetto Health
You name it and you can find it in the employee benefits list at Palmetto Health. Flexible scheduling options, lactation rooms, night and weekend childbirth classes, tuition financial assistance, life and dental insurance, and many other offerings contribute to a realistic and enjoyable work/life balance for Midlands working mothers employed by the region’s largest not-for-profit healthcare institution. “For the third consecutive year, Palmetto Health has been named one of
Modern Healthcare’s "100 Best Places to Work," the only Midlands hospital named to the list,” says Tina Chambers of Palmetto Health.
Palmetto Health also goes a step further than many companies in the fight to ensure good health for its employees, both male and female. In addition to lean cafeteria choices, YMCA membership discounts, on-site YMCA Express locations, and a 50 percent Weight Watchers reimbursement, Palmetto Health offers employees a chance to participate in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Through Pinckney’s Produce, employees can pay for a “share” of a local farm’s harvest and receive a weekly box of farm-fresh produce delivered to one of the campuses for convenient pickup. Employees also enjoy discounts on their medical insurance premiums when they take part in the hospital’s health risk appraisal and health screenings.
Verizon Wireless
“Verizon Wireless is truly committed to helping employees find the right balance between work and home life. The day you start is the day your medical, dental, vision and life insurance; paid vacation; training and tuition reimbursement benefits start,” says Jada Willis of the Verizon Wireless Elgin call center, which has more than 1,300 employees. Verizon Wireless believes in fitness, providing up to 60 percent discounts on membership in 1,500 health clubs nationwide, a wellness and fitness center at the Elgin call center, nursing rooms complete with recliners, a 10 percent discount for child care, and emergency backup child care.
On top of these perks, the company has a Total Rewards Program as an incentive based on individual and company performance. In the program, employees are eligible for annual merit increases, annual profit sharing, 401-k matches, and $8,000 of tuition assistance per year. For mothers interested in adopting children, Verizon Wireless provides $1,500 for part-time employees and $3,000 for full-time employees to ease the financial burden of the adoption process.
Edens & Avant
With offices up and down the East Coast, Edens & Avant develops, owns and operates retail shopping centers in the eastern United States. Caroline Davis thinks what makes the Columbia office so fantastic is its openness. “We have incorporated features in our office space design to promote a healthy work environment,” Davis says. “Our office space maximizes daylight – 100 percent of employee workspaces have daylight views. The space was designed as openly as possible both horizontally and vertically to foster teamwork, learning and socializing.” This openness encourages camaraderie through low-wall workstations, an open stairwell connecting all floors, and a bistro and outside terrace for relaxing.
From gym subsidies to healthy food offered at the on-site bistro, an on-campus fitness facility, monthly lunch-and-learn sessions, and child care referral services, the company is attractive for Midlands working moms. “As a working mother, I am part of a 55 percent female workforce that includes 11 of our 32 officers,” says Edens & Avant president Jodie McLean. “It’s important to have women in strong leadership roles, and it’s equally important to have leaders who understand the specific demands of working mothers.”
Newberry County Memorial Hospital
There are many reasons working women are excited to join Newberry Memorial Hospital’s main campus or three satellite facilities. They are attracted to the on-site wellness center which gives free access to employees who exercise at least six times per month. Zumba, line dancing or Pilates classes and the hospital’s walking trail offer a range of fitness choices. Some are excited about daycare discounts and that Newberry Hospital currently is researching options for an on-site child care facility. “Our employees most appreciate the flexibility they have to fulfill their duties as moms. We have people working reduced schedules, off during the week, half days on Fridays, and various shifts,” says Dyan Bowman of Newberry County Memorial Hospital. “Our employees know, if at all possible, we will work with them to allow the opportunity to fulfill their obligations as parents and enjoy all that goes along with that.”
The hospital participates in March of Dimes’ Healthy Babies Healthy Business online wellness program and goes a step further to provide health care coverage for prenatal, maternity and postnatal services at a 90 percent cost savings.
“NCMH realizes the importance of a good balance between an employee’s work life and home life. An employee who is able to maintain a happy median is often the most successful and productive,” says Bowman.
Lexington Medical Center
Caring and consideration are the cornerstone attributes of Lexington Medical Center’s culture. Made up of an 85 percent female staff, Lexington Medical Center has more than 5,000 employees spread over a main hospital campus, Alzheimer’s care facilities, urgent care centers, physician offices and community medical centers. Employees voluntarily contribute to the United Employee Fund to the tune of a half-million dollars so far. It is used by employees who are in need, whether it be financial troubles, loss of a home to natural disaster, or illness.
“Mothers love working here because we have a daycare center on our main campus, and they can go and visit their children during work hours,” says Labor and Delivery RN Sandra McClung. “Plus there are areas set aside for nursing mothers, extra time off for adoptions, and flexible scheduling. We do self-scheduling. Our employees write down what days they need off and what days they can work, and the unit manager makes every attempt to accommodate schedules,” McClung continues.
Good health is a priority, too. From reduced prices on the healthy choice menus in the cafeterias to free mammograms to gym subsidies, Lexington Medical Center eases the way for working moms seeking a healthy balance.
Nexsen Pruet
On school snow days, the break room may be full of kids eating pizza. Nexsen Pruet is known by its employees as a family-friendly law firm. “You don’t have to be in the office every day like when I started practicing 23 years ago,” says employment and labor law attorney Cherie Blackburn, a mother of two children. “Now, I can work remotely from home when necessary.”
“Right out of college, I began work in a government job as a law clerk for a federal judge,” says litigation attorney Kirsten Small, a mother of two children. “I worried that private practice would be hard to balance with family because I knew I wanted kids. When I began working at Nexsen Pruet, the firm more than exceeded my expectations. I love the culture of the firm because it is possible to be a good attorney and take care of my family.”
Nexsen Pruet also offers a wellness program through Providence Hospital, reimbursing each employee up to $200 annually toward gym memberships. With its range of health care coverage programs and pre-tax dependent care accounts, the firm offers an attractive work/life balance.
Elliott Davis
“By far, flexibility is the number one benefit to working moms at Elliott Davis,” says Jill Schorr of Elliot Davis, an accounting, tax, and consulting services firm whose employee base is 56 percent female. Flexibility is so important to the company that it has a designated human resources employee to approve and monitor flexible work arrangements. “As professionals, our team members are encouraged to take an active role in scheduling their time commitments and meeting the needs of clients. This flexibility gives them the ability to attend important personal and family activities that occur during normal business hours. We do not have set options from which employees must choose. The work schedule can be tailored on a person-by-person basis,” says Schorr.
“Our flexibility and the availability of reduced work hours has helped us retain women who need some time at home to care for children,” Schorr continues. “Being flexible ensures an easy transition when those women are ready to come back full time.”
Behind the Scenes
Thanks to a partnership with the March of Dimes,
Greater Columbia Business Monthly’s contest to find the best places for working mothers was a pleasant eye opener. The application process for companies included a 20-question survey about corporate policies and culture promoting employee wellness and family-work life balance.
The March of Dimes runs the no-cost, online Healthy Babies Healthy Business wellness program which it opens to all businesses. The program can be tailored to an individual company’s needs for a unique way to promote a maternity and family-friendly work environment. Learn more at
www.marchofdimes.com/southcarolina or by contacting Midlands March of Dimes executive Director Erin Galloway at
egalloway@marchofdimes.com.
“The March of Dimes is an advocate for moms and babies. We believe a family-friendly workplace is beneficial to employees and employers. Helping families have healthy babies makes good business sense. Collaborating with
Greater Columbia Business Monthly is an opportunity to recognize companies in the Midlands who share this belief by creating a family-friendly environment for their employees,” says Jacki Apel, director of communications, SC March of Dimes.
Our evaluation committee included:
Rozalynn Goodwin,
Director of Policy Research and Lobbyist, SC Hospital Assoc.
Grant Jackson,
Senior Vice President of Community Development, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Amy Nienhuis,
Perinatal Systems Manager, Palmetto Health Richland