AOL Named a 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Company

New York, NY . – AOL has been named a 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Company by Working Mother Media. The recognition is based on AOL’s dedication and commitment to family-friendly benefits as well as its company-sponsored, women-focused programs and organizations.

“This is an incredible honor for AOL and more importantly a huge win for all of our working parents,” said Michaela Oliver, Senior Vice President, AOL Human Resources. “AOL is committed to providing our employees access to services such as day-care, telecommuting, leadership development and various wellness programs, which allow us to attract and retain top-tier talent. As a company, we recognize it’s not easy to successfully meet all the demands of both family and work. That’s why we see it as a business imperative to create an environment that makes the balancing act more manageable.”

Some of the benefits AOL offers U.S. employees include:

* AOL WellBaby program for expectant parents;
* AOL HealthSmart, which includes a 24x7 nurse line;
* Wellness incentive program featuring fitness partnerships and online healthy living tools;
* Parenting programs and organizations;
* Women’s leadership development courses;
* On-site lactation rooms and fitness centers;
* Adoption and infertility treatment assistance;
* Tuition reimbursement and pre-tax flexible spending accounts for childcare;
* Health insurance for families and domestic partners;
* Family-friendly events such as children’s movie screenings, bring your child to work day, and a recent charity softball game featuring the Jonas Brothers.

In addition, AOL’s Dulles campus is home to two state-of-the-art child care facilities, including a center certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Both centers provide on-site child care fully accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NYACE) for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years, including summer and after-school programs. AOL also offers employees “The Parents Group at AOL,” which provides information, resources and discounts for parents.

“The Working Mother 100 Best Companies stand head and shoulders above the rest,” said Carol Evans, CEO, Working Mother Media. “For example, in the last year, we saw the number of companies nationwide offering flexible work arrangements diminish five percentage points, while the 100 Best Companies stayed steady at 100 percent. The 100 Best provide leadership where and when we need it most, furnishing a framework of support for working families during good times and bad. If all companies adopted these best practices, more families could weather the economic storm.”

In addition to its family benefits, AOL is also home to the parenting site ParentDish.com, http://www.parentdish.com, which provides information, advice and news focused on issues families with kids of all ages face today. ParentDish.com is part of AOL Living, one of the leading women’s sites online, with more than 16.7 million unique visitors each month, according to August 2009 comScore Media Metrix data.

Profiles of the 100 Best Companies, as well as national comparisons, are in the October issue of Working Mother and at workingmother.com.