Best companies for hourly workers
April 17, 2012
A recent report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) revealed that recent college graduates who are paid on an hourly basis are making less money than they have in the past.
According to EPI data, men accepting entry-level positions after college made an hourly salary of $21.68 in 2011, a decrease of more than 5 percent since 2007. Female grads made even less - the average starting salary for women entering the workforce after college in 2011 was $18.80 per hour. That's more than 4 percent lower than in 2007.
Those looking for companies that buck the trend may consider some of those listed on Working Mother magazine's recent "Best Companies for Hourly Workers" report, which recognizes employers that have the best policies and programs for promoting women and a dynamic work life culture. In addition, at least half of the employees at these firms are paid on an hourly basis.
The survey, conducted by the Working Mother Research Institute, included 400 questions about the benefits and programs that hourly workers have access to.
It found that women at the winning companies earned 56 percent of all promotions from hourly non-manager to non-exempt manager positions at the winning companies. And all of the winners offered their hourly workers personal and family health insurance benefits.
The 2012 Working Mother Best Companies for Hourly Workers employ more than 945,000 people in seven industries at over 12,000 work sites nationwide.
The company named the best for hourly workers is Best Buy. Others on the list include Capital One, Hilton, Marriott and Target.
"This year's Best Companies exemplify best-practices workplaces and cultures to help female hourly workers thrive," said Jennifer Owens, editorial director of Working Mother Media. "Most of the companies use the 70-20-10 rule: Focus 70 percent of your time on getting on-the-job experience, 20 percent on developing internal relationships and networks and 10 percent on formal training."
On average, 73 percent of hourly workers at these Best Companies use flextime, up from 68 percent in 2011. In addition, the majority of the Best Companies offer career advancement opportunities, including technology training and supervisor/team leader preparatory training. Nine out of 12 offer mentoring, career counseling and vocational skills training to hourly workers.
Moms pursuing a college degree and beginning a job search may be interested in viewing the entire list at WMMSurveys.com.
A college education has been shown to boost earning potential no matter where you work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011, individuals with a bachelor's degree made an average of $1,053 per week, compared to $768 per week for those with an associate degree, $719 per week for those with some college (but no degree) and $638 per week for those with a high school diploma.
Moms looking to pursue their dream career while supporting their families can go back to college to do so with the help of single mother scholarships, grants for parents and other financial aid.
