Bench scientists usually can't work at home, however. They can only seek employers who will allow them to dash to daycare centers should their children fall ill or leave early to view children's first performances. Working Mother magazine (www.workingmother.com) aims to help parents find such beneficent employers and reward those companies by publishing "The 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" each year.
Many firms that hire life scientists perennially land on the magazine's list. Some pharmaceutical company CEOs recognized early that benefits for working parents would help attract the best workers and boost the bottom line. Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. have remained on the list since its inception 16 years ago; Hoffmann-LaRoche has graced the inventory for 11 years; Genentech, 10 years; and Eli Lilly & Co., seven years. Bristol Myers-Squibb, on the list for four years, made the top 10 in 2002.
The list confirms what ...
