Union Pacific Again Named A Top Company For Working Mothers
For the Fourth Time, UP Is Named to Magazine's Annual List
Omaha, Neb, September 12, 2005 – Working Mother magazine announced that it has again named Union Pacific one of the nation’s 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. Working Mother has included North America’s largest railroad for the fourth time in five years.
"We are honored Working Mother magazine has again recognized our work to create a culture that helps employees balance work and families," said Barb Schaefer, senior vice president-Human Resources for Union Pacific. "We continue to actively recruit employees across our system, and we are making every effort to nurture an environment that will attract and retain both men and women."
Compensation, advancement, flexibility, childcare, parental leave and work/life balance are all high priorities for the railroad. As a 24/7 operation, Union Pacific takes special steps to take care of its employees. Benefits include:
- An integrated health and wellness initiative that stresses healthy lifestyles. UP employees are urged to take responsibility for their health and can take part in company-sponsored smoking cessation programs, weight management programs and fitness programs.
- Rest Easy, which pays half the cost of a nurse to go to an employee’s home if a child is sick.
- LifeCare Services, a 24/7 referral service to help parents find programs for children of all ages.
- A 19,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness facility within the railroad’s new headquarters in downtown Omaha. The facility includes 50 strength training machines and 50 aerobic machines supervised by American College of Sports Medicine certified staff. Free membership is provided to employees, spouses, retirees and contractors. For employees outside of Omaha, UP sponsors free membership at more than 500 facilities throughout its 23-state system.
- A new 20,000-square-foot childcare center near the railroad’s headquarters. The center opened in 2005 and accommodates more than 200 children between the ages of six weeks to six years.
- Expanded special programming from LEAD (Lead, Educate, Achieve, Develop), the railroad’s women’s networking group, delivered to the field via tapes and teleconferences.
- Part-time work (while keeping their benefits), flextime, job sharing and telecommuting.
"We salute Union Pacific for their efforts on behalf of working mothers, and for making the 100 best for the fourth time," said Carol Evans, CEO of Working Mother Media. "It is my hope that other companies around the country learn from the best and experience first-hand the value of flexibility as a business imperative."
In surveying companies that applied for this year’s list, Working Mother gave particular weight to questions in three areas: flexible scheduling, the most critical benefit for working mothers; child-care options, because without them parents can’t work; and time off for new parents, because it’s critical for mothers to bond with their newborns without suffering professionally.
The complete list of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies can be found at www.workingmother.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 20-year signature initiative, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America’s leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific’s diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada’s rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America’s premier rail franchise.
For more information, contact Gene Hinkle at (402) 514-9406.
The statements and information contained in the news releases provided by Union Pacific speak only as of the date issued. Such information by its nature may become outdated, and investors should not assume that the statements and information contained in Union Pacific's news releases remain current after the date issued. Union Pacific makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update any of this information.