OREANDA-NEWS. September 29, 2016. Working Mother magazine has recognized Monsanto as one of the 2016 “Working Mother 100 Best Companies” for the company’s outstanding leadership in creating progressive programs for its workforce in the areas of advancement for women, flexibility, child care and paid parental leave. In the manufacturing category, Monsanto is ranked among the top three companies for working mothers.

“Working parents are all too familiar with the challenges of competing commitments. We strive to make our company benefits and career development paths such that it’s easier for working moms to choose a career at Monsanto,” said Steve Mizell, Monsanto’s Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. “We also know that networking and support is key, so we’ve designed opportunities across the company that help women and working mothers develop, learn and at the same time, help us understand what’s important to them.”

In explaining why Monsanto was chosen, editors cited the following, “Opportunity knocks for women at this agricultural company, where they make up just 32% of employees yet participate in formal mentoring and sponsorship programs at rates that often outpace those of their male peers.”

The magazine also recognized Monsanto’s active Family Network and the company’s comprehensive maternity leave policy, which allows women who give birth or adopt 12 guaranteed weeks of leave, with four to 10 weeks of that time fully paid.

For 31 years, Working Mother Research Institute has tracked the progress of companies that lead in creating a supportive workplace environment for America’s families. More specifically, the Institute collects data on the workforce policies to reveal how the Best Companies lead in the areas of representation, benefits, advancement, child care, flexible work arrangements, parental leave and company culture. The winners are announced in the October/November 2016 issue of Working Mother magazine and online at Best Companies | Working Mother.

About Monsanto Company

Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops – such as corn, soybeans, and cotton – that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, our commitments and our more than 20,000 dedicated employees, please visit: discover.monsanto.com and monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter® at twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on the company blog, Beyond the Rows® at monsantoblog.com or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.