GLW Corning Inc

Specialty Chemical Leader Lauded for Flexible Work Arrangements, Other Initiatives MIDLAND, Mich. Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dow Corning has been named to Working Mother magazine's 2005 list of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies. This year's Working Mother magazine survey found that despite the growing popularity of compressed work weeks, job-shares, telecommuting and other workplace flexibility options, two out of three working mothers believe there is still a stigma attached to using flextime options that their companies allow. Dow Corning is one of the companies working to eliminate this bias by offering its working mother employees not just flexibility, but advancement opportunities as well. "Promoting work-life effectiveness is very important to us, especially for working parents," said Dow Corning President and CEO Dr. Stephanie Burns. "We feel that if we create a supportive and flexible culture, not only will the company get the best out of our talented employees, but so will our customers." In surveying the companies that applied for this year's list, particular weight was given to questions in three areas: flexible scheduling, the most critical benefit for working mothers; child-care options, because without them parents can't work; and time off for new parents, because it's critical for mothers to bond with their newborns without suffering professionally. "We salute Dow Corning for their efforts on behalf of working mothers, and for making the 100 Best for the first time," said Carol Evans, CEO of Working Mother Media. "It is my hope that other companies around the country learn from the best and experience first-hand the value of flexibility as a business imperative." To apply for the Working Mother 100 Best, Dow Corning provided Working Mother magazine with detailed information on eight areas of work/life including: childcare, culture, flexibility, parental leave, women's advancement, total compensation, work/life culture, and family-friendly programs. Dow Corning completed a 550-question application, the most rigorous of its kind, which checked the availability, tracking and usage of programs to support working mothers, the accountability of managers to implement programs and the successful advancement of women into top paying jobs, board positions and management ranks. Dow Corning was also required to submit benefits handbooks and results of employee surveys. The complete list of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies can be found at http://www.workingmother.com/ . Founded in 1979, Working Mother magazine reaches nearly 3 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. Its 20-year signature initiative, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. Dow Corning (http://www.dowcorning.com/ ) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicon-based technology and innovation, offering more than 7,000 products and services, Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) and Corning, Incorporated (NYSE:GLW). More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States. DATASOURCE: Dow Corning CONTACT: Jarrod Erpelding of Dow Corning, +1-989-496-1582, Web site: http://www.dowcorning.com/ http://www.workingmother.com/

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