THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 21, 1996 TAG: 9610190159
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY LON WAGNER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 131 lines
If you're a mom having a tough time ditching work in Chesapeake in time to bang the minivan through rush-hour traffic to pick up the kids at day care in Norfolk, you might want to check out these working-women-friendly companies.
The Tidewater Business and Professional Women's Club sifted through dozens of employers and narrowed its list to seven finalists for Exemplary Employer Awards. Yvenne M. King, a Virginia Beach lawyer and chairwoman of the selection committee, said the group looked at company handbooks, policies and memos; they also used word of mouth to make the selections
``It's a growing concern for women, especially because more and more women are in the work force and have to juggle all these things,'' King said.
Working Mother magazine publishes a national list of companies with policies beneficial to working women; this is a Hampton Roads version.
The envelope, please. . .
GTE Mobilnet was selected as the large-company exemplary employer, and accounting firm Failes & Associates was chosen as the small company. GTE Mobilnet in Hampton Roads has 18 supervisory positions, 10 held by women. The company provides in-house training programs to prepare its female employees to move into management. It also offers job sharing, flexible work schedules and telecommuting, which help working women balance their professional ambition with family needs.
``We can easily pick out an up-and-coming employee and say, `This person is leadership material, let's get her into these programs so she can develop her skills,' '' said Carla Ussery, general manager at the company.
Working mothers need a flexible work schedule more than other workers, Ussery said, and by being creative with work hours the company has been able to tap into a broader employee base.
``Really, even in today's society, I think a lot of the primary day care falls back on the women,'' she said. ``If they're happier at home, they give more to their employer and they're more satisfied with the company.''
Failes & Associates' work force is 70 percent women - and that's in the accounting field, traditionally dominated by men.
The firm encourages professional development of its employees by paying for the 40 hours of continuing education each year required of accountants. It also pays for staffers' membership dues for both professional and civic organizations.
But the Business and Professional Women's Club was most impressed with Failes' policy on flexible hours, which helps it attract and keep female accountants. Joanne Handyside, partner at Failes' Chesapeake office, said the company and the employee can negotiate the flex-time during hiring and the company will put its commitment in writing.
``Some people want to work full-time during the tax season, even though we have long hours then, and cut back in the summer when the kids are out of school,'' Handyside said.
Failes also offers short-term and long-term disability policies that allow an employee to get paid during maternity leave.
Though the BPW committee selected those two companies as this year's winners, the other five nominees also have unique offerings.
ARVON LLC, a staffing company in the medical, professional and technical fields, was singled out for its policy against sexual harassment, which the BPW said offers much more detail of prohibited conduct than most companies. ARVON's policy was printed in the program for the BPW's annual awards banquet.
Chartway Federal Credit Union was highlighted for providing discounts to two area day-care providers and for its management development program.
Crestar Bank's policy of providing its part-time employees all the benefits of its full-time workers impressed the BPW, as did its programs to help employees with their children and elderly relatives.
LCI International, a telecommunications company with its Eastern regional offices in Virginia Beach, was chosen for its stress of the importance of voting. LCI gives its employees one hour of paid time to vote.
Sentara Mental Health Management was cited for encouraging women to move up in the organization. BPW noted the example of Nancy Eleuterius, who started as a director of patient administrative services and was promoted to chief operating officer and eventually became president.
The Business & Professional Women's Club's goal in calling attention to these policies is to encourage other companies to adopt similar programs. MEMO: For more information on the Business and Professional Women's
Club, call Yvenne King at 456-0681. ILLUSTRATION: [Cover, Color photo]
MORT FRYMAN
[Joanne Hanyside, left, and Frances Denny Richardson.]
[Color Photos]
MORT FRYMAN
The Virginian-Pilot
FAILES & ASSOCIATES
The accounting firm was chosen as the small-company exemplary
employer, where partners Joanne Handyside, left, and Frances Denny
Richardson work. ``Some people want to work full-time during the tax
season, even though we have long hours then, and cut back in the
summer when the kids are out of school,'' Handyside said.
CHARLIE MEADS
The Virginian-Pilot
GTE MOBILNET
The large-company exemplary employer, where Carla Ussery is general
manager, has women in more than half of its supervisory positions.
``We can easily pick out an up-and-coming employee and say, `This
person is leadership material, let's get her into these programs so
she can develop her skills,' '' Ussery said.
THE CLUB ALSO CITED...
ARVON LLC
The staffing company in medical, professional and technical
fields, was singled out for its policy against sexual harassment,
which the BPW said offers much more detail of prohibited conduct
than most companies.
CHARTWAY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
The company was recognized for providing discounts to two area
day-care providers and for its management development program.
CRESTAR BANK
The bank was highlighted for its policy of providing its
part-time employees all the benefits of its full-time workers, and
for its programs to help employees with their children and elderly
relatives.
LCI INTERNATIONAL
The telecommunications company was chosen because it gives its
employees one hour of paid time to vote.
SENATARA MENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT
The organization was cited for encouraging women to move up. BPW
noted the example of Nancy Eleuterius, who started as a director of
patient administrative services and was promoted to chief operating
officer and eventually became president. by CNB