Contact Us        Search

Jane Clifford, Family Editor for the San Diego Union-Tribune, returned to the event for the second year—this time to chair a Keynote panel including Richard Louv, Union-Tribune columnist and author, and Cathy Clark, anchor for KUSI Channel 9. Their viewpoints were lively, often humorous, and fascinating to hear, and the panel members in turn carried away with them a greater understanding of our area’s interest in work/life issues.

The event was covered by KNSD Channel 39, which included a spot on the 6:00 p.m. news about the winners. During the week following the luncheon, Hal Clement highlighted a week-long focus for KFMB Channel 8 on San Diego’s family-friendly workplaces. Richard Louv authored a column for the Union-Tribune on May 16 entitled "Firms make caring part of workday," in which he interviewed the winners and discussed the important business issues surrounding work/life options. "Studies show that family-friendly policies may improve worker productivity, and they definitely increase employee loyalty to the company," said Louv in his article.

In the first three years of this landmark program, over 100 organizations have been recognized by nominations, and awards in nine categories have been given each year for outstanding work/life practices.

1998 Overall Winners

Best Overall 500+ employees, Private

SAIC

	Flexible benefits
	Child care assistance
	Career Management
	Eldercare assistance
	Wellness
	Maternal & infant health strategy
	Work-time options

SAIC definitely qualifies as a large organization, with over 3,000 local employees. They are the largest high-tech employee-owned company in the world, with sites in more than 26 US cities and 11 foreign countries. Although they aren’t new to the work/life option philosophy—some of their policies have been around as long as 20 years—they continually strive to address the ever changing needs of today’s workers. It may be easier for large organization to implement good family-friendly policies, but very often they tend to "forget" individual employee needs. No so with SAIC, who proudly announced its award through the internet to the other locations around the world.

 

 

Best Overall 500+ employees, Public

City of Escondido

	Flexible benefits
	Child care assistance
	Career Management
	Eldercare assistance
	Wellness
	Maternal & infant health strategy
	Work-time options

Setting a standard for city employers, Escondido has won in three separate categories in the two previous award competitions. This time they landed the main award for large organizations in a public arena, in recognition of their long-standing excellence in work/life options.

Best Overall 50-500 employees

San Diego Precast Concrete, Inc.

 

	Flexible benefits
	Child care assistance
	Career Management
	Eldercare assistance
	Wellness
	Maternal & infant health strategy
	Work-time options

 

The judges for the awards are always gratified to find work/life balance programs in the more industrial organizations, and the incidence of these benefits is increasing each year. San Diego Precast Concrete, Inc. won the top award for middle-sized organizations, as well as a category award for elder-care assistance programs. Since winning the award, Precast has been contacted by other companies requesting information about their programs to use as guidelines. "This is the best PR we’ve ever received!" commented President Doug McLaughlin.

 

Best Overall under 50 employees

Brodshatzer, Wallace, Spoon & Yip

	Flexible benefits
	Wellness
	Maternal & infant health strategy
	Work-time options

This accounting firm, with a staff of only 23, has five employees working part-time in order to care for children. That’s 22% of the workforce. One employee telecommutes from 700 miles away. Smaller companies are perhaps more challenged to provide flexible options to their employees, but BWS&Y proves that it can be done…successfully for both employee and the company’s bottom line.

 

Category Winners

Eldercare Assistance: San Diego Precast Concrete, Inc.

	Resource and referral program
	Caregiver seminars

Comments which also impressed the Judges: "Company policies are developed collaboratively by employer and employees"

 

Child Care Assistance: Cox Communications San Diego and Cox Communications Customer Care

Near site child care for mildly ill children and short-term back-up when regular child care is not available.

Comments which also impressed the Judges: "A collaborative project to provide quality child care services when regular child care plans fall through."

 

Wellness Programs: Solar Turbines, Inc.

	Employee Assistance program
	Employee team sports sponsorship
	Employer sponsored wellness seminars
	Flexible spending account
	Employee health facility

Comments which also impressed the Judges: "Yearly health screening can lead to medical insurance premium reduction. Fitness center with full-time staff. Sports complex.

 

Flexible Benefits: Southwest Airlines (Private Employer)

	Dependent Care Assistance program
	Flexible Spending account
	Company participation in voluntary pension plan.

Comments which also impressed the Judges: "Besides offering us the best of health benefits, profit sharing and retirement plans, Southwest Airlines treats their employees with respect and is always willing to listen to them," said Lourdes White of Southwest.

 

Flexible Benefits: City of San Diego (Gov't Employer)

	Cafeteria style benefits for all employees
	Dependent Care Assistance program

Comments which also impressed the Judges: "Benefits available to all half-time to full-time employees. A comprehensive plan which allows employees to choose benefits which best meet their and their families' needs."

 

Work Time Options: Brodshatzer, Wallace, Spoon & Yip

	Flexible scheduling
	Telecommuting
	Part-time with benefits

What also impressed the Judges: "It's clear to the employee that the firm's flexibility is based on an underlying respect for the employee's work and…the employee's life outside of work."

 

Maternal & Infant Health: SDSU Foundation/WIC

	Health care coverage for full and part time employees includes genetic counseling, immunizations, prescriptions, home health services
	Preconception and prenatal health promotion programs
	On-site lactation program for breastfeeding mothers.

Comments which also impressed the Judges: "I'm thankful for my caring and progressive employer who truly helped me be a successful working, breastfeeding mother."

 

Career Management: Schumacher

	Career assessment
	Mentoring (informal)
	Career development
	Team cross-training
	Skills upgrade
	100% Tuition reimbursement

Comments which also impressed the Judges: "Tuition reimbursement is one of the work/life programs most highly utilized by employees."

 

Most Improved over Prior Years

City of Escondido

	Expanded number of child care agencies providing discounts to employees
	Expanded city-wide e-mail enabling more frequent distribution of information and resources regarding child care and wellness issues
	Career assessment/discovery program
	long-term insurance for employees and their families

North Island Federal Credit Union

	Post-retirement medical benefits
	Long Term Care insurance
	Career mapping
	Upgrade to health and dental benefits
	Upgrade to leave benefits
	Enhanced Flexible Spending Account
	Enhanced Employee Assistance Program

Special Commendations

Tax and Financial Services

	The office as a unit volunteers annually in the activities such as Hands On San Diego project cleared hiking trails in Florida Canyon manned a San Diego Charger miniature golf hole for the Muscular Dystrophy fund-raiser at Seaport Village, and many other such projects.
	Employee spouses and children participate in these events as well.

Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Company Short Term Disability Benefit Program For all regular full time or part time employees who have been employed for at least nine months Pays 100% of the 7-day waiting period which is normally unpaid Supplements state disability payments up to employee's regular rate of pay, excluding overtime, for the first 90 days of disability.

Return to Home Page