Healthy Mothers Workplace Awards Honor to San Francisco Businesses for Family-Friendly Policies[:es]Healthy Mothers Workplace Awards Honor San Francisco Business for Family-Friendly Policies[:zh]Healthy Mothers Workplace Awards Honor San Francisco Business for Family-Friendly Policies

San Francisco businesses lead the way in family-friendly policies. At today’s second annual Healthy Mothers Workplace Award Ceremony, 24 employers will be honored for their commitment to the health and equity of their employees, especially new parents. 

This year, San Francisco became the first city in the nation to give employees the right to request flexibility and/or predictability in their work schedules when it enacted the Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance (FFWO).  Workers–especially women–are too often forced to choose between family and their jobs, but the FFWO allows employers and employees to think creatively about work and family obligations and find solutions together, making for happier and healthier workplaces. 

Many businesses go even further to create family-friendly workplaces. The Healthy Mothers Workplace award program recognizes standout employers for the positive impact their workplace policies have on health and equity and provides employers, government agencies and advocates the opportunity to explore ideas for family-friendly policies.

 “We understand that healthy and happy employees make good employees”, said Paula Brannon, Bi-Rite’s director of human resources. “Participating in the Healthy Mothers Workplace award gives us the opportunity to reflect on our policies and think about how to best support our employees and their families. We are thrilled to introduce additional time off for new parents and pay during pregnancy leave.” 

Bi-Rite isn’t alone; three employers that received last year’s award improved their policies and moved up a level within the award program – positively impacting over 8,000 employees.  This year’s award recipients also include 11 new employers, including Twitter [see below for a full list of winners]. 

 “Many workers do not have access to any time off from work to bond with a new child, and even fewer receive pay from their employer during that time”, said Julia Parish, director of the Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition. “Simple policies supporting parental leave and lactation accommodations make a profound difference for new parents while also strengthening their workplaces.”

“As a pediatrician, I’ve seen how policy inequities can impact the health of mothers, the development of babies and the well-being of families”, said Dr. Curtis Chan, Medical Director of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. “Workplace policies are a critical determinant of health, particularly during the postpartum and newborn period.”

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This year’s winners are: Arab Cultural & Community Center, Bi-Rite Family of Businesses, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, Child Care Law Center, Children’s Council of San Francisco, Department of Labor, San Francisco Region, San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, Folger Levin LLP, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Huckleberry Youth Programs, Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center, Morrison and Foerster LLP, Next Steps Marketing, Premier Staffing Inc., Payroll Resource Group, Inc., San Francisco Adult Probation Department, SRT Consultants, Twitter, Inc., UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, VLP Law Group LLP, W.O.M.A.N., Inc., The Women’s Foundation of California, and Zelle Hofmann Voelbel & Mason LLP.

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