For Sixth Consecutive Year, Verizon Wireless Recognized As One Of The Best For Working Mothers

Company Places on Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies List Which Honors Women- and Family-Friendly Benefits and Policies

09/25/2006 - BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless, owner and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, today announced that the company is a 2006 Working Mother 100 Best Company for the sixth consecutive year. The Working Mother 100 Best Companies celebrates employers whose groundbreaking benefits—from flexible schedules and child care to innovative leave policies for new parents—are helping redefine workplace standards across the nation.

Profiled in the October issue of Working Mother, Verizon Wireless is celebrated for creating a work environment that is especially hospitable to all women, including working mothers. From its Healthy Babies program that helps improve employee quality of life throughout pregnancy and after childbirth, to the Backup Dependent Care program that provides employees with access to backup caregivers for children, adult/elderly dependents and spouses/domestic partners, Verizon Wireless invests significantly in its employees, offering benefits and programs that help improve quality of life both during and after the workday.

“Verizon Wireless is exceptional for its continuing commitment to working mothers, and we salute them for making the 100 Best for the sixth time,” said Carol Evans, CEO of Working Mother Media. “Every year we see companies upping the ante, establishing new paradigms for quality of life among their employees and redefining the status quo for workplaces across the country. Among the many worthy entrants, the winners really set the gold standard.”

The only wireless carrier to be recognized by the magazine, Verizon Wireless is also being acknowledged for its wide array of work/life initiatives, including flexible work arrangements, childcare discounts and a prenatal exercise program.

“Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs out there, especially for those of us who work full- or part-time. Verizon Wireless recognizes the unique challenges faced by working moms, and goes above and beyond to support us,” said Sara Baxter-Orr, a Verizon Wireless employee. “Working for Verizon Wireless is one of the best things I could have done – for me and for my family.”

In surveying the companies that applied for this year’s list, Working Mother gave particular weight to questions in two areas: flexible scheduling, the most critical benefit for working mothers; and leave time, because it is essential for parents to be able to take time off from work, whether it is several months to bond with newborns or several years to be at home with children during their most formative years. This year, Verizon Wireless was recognized in conjunction with its parent company, Verizon Communications. The complete list of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies can be found at www.workingmother.com.

In celebration of its sixth consecutive year of recognition by Working Mother, Verizon Wireless is sponsoring a contest for all employees and their children. Employees’ children will be asked to create artwork depicting their parents at work. The winning submission will appear in a Verizon Wireless ad in an upcoming issue of Working Mother.

For more information about Verizon Wireless, please visit www.verizonwireless.com.

About Working Mother
Founded in 1979, Working Mother magazine reaches nearly 3 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. Its 21-year signature initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. The publication also releases the annual list of the Best Companies for Women of Color in the June issue. Working Mother is published by Working Mother Media (WMM), which also owns the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), NAFE Magazine, the annual 100 Best Companies WorkLife Congress, as well as the Best Companies for Women of Color Multicultural Conference and regional Town Halls. This year, WMM launched its Best Small Companies for Working Mothers initiative.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation’s most reliable wireless network, serving 54.8 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Contact Information

Donna Lyden

Media Contact

Verizon Wireless

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