(Union Pacific issued the following news release on September 21.)
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific today announced that it has again been named one of the nation’s 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. Working Mother magazine, which today released its 19th annual list of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers,” has included North America’s largest railroad for the third time in four years.
“We are thrilled Working Mother has again named us to its prestigious list,” said Barb Schaefer, senior vice president of Human Resources for Union Pacific. “The honor comes at a very important time for us. We are in the midst of a very aggressive hiring campaign, and this recognition supports our work to offer benefits that help us recruit and retain the best employees.”
Union Pacific plans to hire more than 6,500 employees by the end of 2004 and is making every effort to create an environment that will attract and keep women. Compensation, advancement, flexibility, childcare, parental leave and work/life balance are all high priorities.
Union Pacific is a 24/7 operation, moving materials essential to the nation’s well being. To keep material moving, the railroad takes special steps to take care of its employees.
Union Pacific provides a number of benefits for its working parents, including
* 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 20,000-square-foot childcare center under construction near the railroad’s new headquarters. The center will accommodate more than 200 children between the ages of six weeks to six years. It is scheduled to open in 2005.
* Part-time work (while keeping their benefits), flextime, job sharing and telecommuting.
“Work/life benefits at the 100 Best Companies have evolved beyond working mothers’ essential needs — like maternity leave and phase-back for new moms — and now include programs that read almost like a spa brochure,” says Working Mother Editor-in-Chief Susan Lapinski. “Companies know that healthy employees mean a healthy bottom line. Wellness programs cut absenteeism, increase productivity and build loyalty. With obesity and diabetes on the rise in this country, it makes sense for companies to focus on weight loss and fitness to keep employees productive and happy on the job.”
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America’s leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is the largest railroad in North America, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. A strong focus on quality and a strategically advantageous route structure enable the company to serve customers in critical and fast growing markets. It is a leading carrier of low-sulfur coal used in electrical power generation and has broad coverage of the large chemical-producing areas along the Gulf Coast. With competitive long-haul routes between all major West Coast ports and eastern gateways, and as the only railroad to serve all six major gateways to Mexico, Union Pacific has the premier rail franchise in North America.