Working Mother Magazine 100 Best List Revisited

Last year we directed your attention to the article 100 best companies for working mothers...are they really the best. Becky was on to something and now it appears the rest of the media is waking up. Good!

Take a look at this study from the Institute for Women's Policy Research and then go read this article in Time Magazine. We have no axe to grind with the magazine, it provides a wealth of information and support to working mothers, but we wonder why they don't just 'fess up and admit the list is an advertising vehicle for the companies who make the list and the magazine reaps huge financial rewards too. The current jargon is to "own it", so own it! There is no dishonor in doing so, lots of places use awards and recognition as fundraising tools, it's not uncommon. Standard actually. Often there is an expectation a recipient make a donation back to an organization in appreciation of being honored. Happens all the time. Everyone knows it. It's fully disclosed and no one pretends it doesn't happen that way.

However, Working Mother Magazine is not a 501c3 looking for funding, it's a profit making business dependent on advertising. Period. To unveil this list year after year after year as if Working Mother Magazine is providing is solely as a community service when in fact their own pockets are being heavily lined by advertising dollars from those on the list just smells bad. Some of the companies on this list aren't so stellar when upon closer examination. They aren't holding up under the glass. Frankly, this stinks too.

Are we suggesting the list be utterly discounted and ignored? No.

The magazine should address issues regarding how companies get on the list, survey employees of these companies and disclose the warts in the history of these companies. Why is it not disclosed the list includes companies sued for big money in multi-million sex discrimination cases...AND LOST their cases? Not settled em, lost em!

Mothers are women too! If a company discriminates against women, then how can that same company then be included on a list for being *best* for mothers? Of course people make mistakes, and even big businesses deserve a do-0ver, but don't sell us something that stinks like poo and tell us it's all rosy.

Hey! How about something like this for next year, Working Mother Magazine presents a list of companies without any connection to advertising; no money changing hands from the honorees back to the magazine? How about if companies on that list make a charitable donation, in honor of the magazine, directly to non-profit programs supporting families?

We believe that kind of list would smell much better. What do you think?