advertisement

---

Union Pacific Railroad recently was named one of the nation's 100 best employers for working mothers by Working Mother magazine — the second time the railroad has attained the top 100 honor in the past three years.

UP offers several programs to working parents, including "Rest Easy" under which the railroad pays half the nursing cost for a sick child receiving care at an employee's home; "LifeCare Services," a 24/7 referral service enabling parents to find child-care programs; part-time work (retaining benefits); flextime; job sharing; and telecommuting.

The railroad also is building a 20,000-square-foot child-care center near UP's new headquarters in Omaha, Neb., designed to accommodate more than 200 children ages six weeks to six years, and providing specially outfitted lactation rooms in existing facilities.

"We are very cognizant of the needs of today's working mothers and working parents, and of the contributions they make to our company," said Barb Schaefer, UP senior vice president of human resources, in a prepared statement.

The top 100 list considers a company's culture, employee population and women's representation, and work/life and women's advancement policies, as well as employee usage of company programs.