Business Category Finalist of 2009 Leadership Award
Pearson Educational Measurement Group
Iowa City
Nominated by Dayna Ballantyne
Pearson Educational Measurement leads the way in fostering a positive work/life balance and developing women leaders.
Working Mother magazine has named Pearson Education to its prestigious list of "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers." This annual list cites corporations that recognize the value of meeting the needs of working families. Companies are judged on the number of work/life programs they offer, the employee usage of these programs and the representation of women throughout the company. Working Mother evaluates three main criteria: flexible scheduling, because it is essential for working mothers; advancement of women, because it is critical for women in the workplace; and child-care options, because without them, parents can't work.
Pearson Educational Measurement meets these criteria with a wide array of programs, including working arrangements that provide for telecommuting from one to five days per week, job sharing, flex-time and a compressed summer work week. The company provides emergency back-up child care and, for prospective adoptive parents, up to $3,000 in adoption financial aid as well as help through the often frustrating tangle of adoption agency rules and requirements. When compared to many other U.S. companies Pearson Educational Measurement also competes strongly in advancing women through its ranks.
Women comprise approximately 60 percent of Pearson Educational Measurement's workforce while the majority of its first-line managers are women. In addition, Pearson, the international education and media business that owns Pearson Educational Measurement, is led by a woman, Marjorie Scardino. Pearson Educational Measurement also offers paid leave to care for a seriously ill family member or new child, a benefit still rarely seen among most American companies.