Working Mother Magazine’s 2007 100 Best Companies List

Working Mother Magazine recently published the 2007 100 Best Companies.

It’s a popular list, but, lately, there’s been a big buzz surrounding it, and, working parents are wondering if these companies really are the “best”.

An article in Time Magazine questions how some of these employers received this honor, and, it boils down to it being in the name of PR and advertising dollars.

At Parentopia, Devra suggests that the list is more of an advertising benefit than a service, and, that the magazine should fully disclose how a company gets on the list.

Susan at Working Moms Against Guilt emphasizes that many of these companies don’t even provide paid leave, or, paternity benefits.

I agree, that independent examination should be how a company gets on a list, but, what bothers me more is the quality of the benefits they’re touting.

Many of these fabulous perqs women should be so excited about often boil down to a lactation room that is constantly booked, a shelf of parenting brochures, and, a daycare where no one can actually obtain a place until the kid is in kindergarten.

Flexible scheduling is important, but, its often unavailable to many employees, and, if it is, the offers sometimes are as exciting as getting to choose between an 8am and an 8:30am start time.

Not to be a pessimist, but, the limited benefits that are there, often aren’t available to all employees. As an employer, I understand some of the difficulties, but, I’ll pass on the Best Companies hype until some meaningful benefits that don’t automatically assume that the entire childcare burden is to be on the mother are enacted.