BAIN & COMPANY NAMED TO WORKING MOTHER’S LIST OF 100 BEST COMPANIES FOR THE NINTH YEAR IN A ROW

The firm received the recognition for its progressive workplace programs that help all parents thrive professionally and personally

New York – Sept. 27, 2016 – For the ninth year in a row, Bain & Company earned a place on Working Mother's “Working Mother 100 Best Companies” list for its progressive workplace programs, including individualized career paths, flexible work options, and newly expanded policies for parental leave and fertility treatments. These programs help parents at the firm succeed in the highly-competitive consulting industry even as personal needs evolve in the modern family.

“We are incredibly proud to be recognized on Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies list for the ninth year in a row,” said Bill Neuenfeldt, Bain’s regional managing director of the Americas. “This recognition highlights our commitment to working mothers and fathers at Bain to enable them to do more than simply succeed. We want them to thrive professionally and personally.”

Bain has long been committed to addressing the needs of its working parents, creating programs and policies that help them successfully balance work and family. In 2016, the firm again responded to the evolving nature of parental roles by removing the distinction between primary and secondary care givers and increasing paid parental leave from two (or four) to eight weeks for every new parent – regardless of gender – including adoptive parents. Bain also increased total paid leave for birth mothers from 12 to 16 weeks. The firm gives parents the flexibility to take parental leave when it best meets their professional and personal needs within the child’s first year.

Additionally, Bain changed its coverage policy with regard to fertility treatments. The firm now offers coverage for same-sex partnered women, giving them a choice in how they start their family.

While Bain is committed to helping employees acclimate to the immediate challenges of parenthood, it is also dedicated to ensuring that new parents thrive once they have returned to the workforce. This includes providing women with the right opportunities and assignments, at the right pace, to help them progress on their individual path and grow in their career. Bain also provides coaching, mentoring and sponsorship to all female employees.

The firm makes it possible for parents to flex their work schedules on their own terms – for example, working part-time or working in an internal role (versus client-facing). It also supports a culture in which finding day-to-day flexibility to attend a school play, volunteer in the community or fit in a workout is accepted – something Bain encourages at all levels and roles across the firm.

“It can be overwhelming to be a working mother or father” said Kara Gruver, a senior partner at Bain and head of the firm’s Boston office. “For the last 20 years, Bain has continuously supported me in a series of part-time and full-time roles that worked for the different stages of my life which allowed me to progress in my career while successfully raising a family.”

Bain’s Global Women’s Leadership Council (GWLC) serves as a resource to provide the firm’s women with the tools they need to succeed. For example, the GWLC pairs senior women with a sponsor to champion them and help them navigate their careers over the long term. The GWLC also manages a number of other priority global initiatives to ensure women are thriving. These range from training sessions, such as the Global Women’s Leadership Forum, which brings together more than 200 of the firm’s most senior leaders from around globe, to efforts focused on flexible working models, networking and training to create a culture where women at every level of the organization can thrive. It also helps build a strong sense of global community and support via a quarterly newsletter and the online Bain Women’s Experience Center with resources on flex and professional development.

Bain believes a culture of support and overall well-being is critical to finding, retaining, and growing the best female business talent in the world.

“At this point my husband and I are empty nesters, but as the head of Bain’s Boston office, I’m focused on ensuring Bain continues to expand on the flexibility and support that was so important to me. It’s critical that working mothers and fathers are confident that they can succeed at Bain while raising their families,” said Gruver.

The firm is also helping other companies understand how to foster professional and personal success for women through its extensive original research on gender parity, including a forthcoming study about the factors that hold women back from reaching top corporate leadership positions.

When compiling the “100 Best Companies” list, Working Mother Media selects firms with excellent progressive policies and also the widespread use of these policies by employees. The application process includes over 450 questions pertaining to leave and flex policies, continued support and advancement opportunities for women, childcare options and workforce representation.

The complete list of the 2016 Working Mother 100 Best Companies can be found here.

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