Abbott named a top family-friendly employer

Abbott has been named as one of the top ten family-friendly employers.

The company received the accolade from Working Mother magazine, which has published its top 100 for 2008 to recognise firms that provide innovation in this area.

Abbott noted it was the eighth year in a row it was ranked in these listings, which reflected the company’s dedication to helping employees succeed both at home and at work.

The firm was recognised for the introduction of its Freedom to Work initiative, which offers phased retirement on the terms of the employee, including increased flexibility without benefits being affected.

Another factor reported by the company was its on-site fitness centres, free medication, glucose meters and confidential health assessments.

Stephen Fussell, senior vice-president of human resources at the firm, said: “At Abbott, we are committed to helping employees build extraordinary careers.”

He added the company was proud to be listed in these rankings again for its development of programmes to meet the changing needs of staff, their families and the business itself.

Earlier this week, Abbott was named as one of the 50 best places to launch a career by BusinessWeek magazine, being the highest-ranked healthcare company on the list for the third year running.