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# She works hard for the money... and benefits
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/she-works-hard-for-the-money-and-benefits/
- Published: 2006-02-23T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T17:17:48.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import

CITYWIDE — If you’re a woman in Santa Monica, chances are your working environment is better than most.

Employers here are on the “cutting edge” in offering work/life benefits to female employees, according to a survey released recently by the Commission on the Status of Women, a City Hall-supported organization.

Of the nearly 200 companies surveyed, all offered at least three — with most offering four — work/life benefits, including on-site child care, lactation rooms, paid leave for adoptive parents and paid maternity leave. All but one of the employers provided seven or more benefits including job-sharing, tuition reimbursement, unpaid sabbaticals, support for community volunteerism, and referral services for elder/child care.

The survey also found the majority of employers who participated offered some level of health care, career advancement programs and retirement plans.

The survey, which was funded by the commission at a cost of roughly $1,400, was authorized in late 2004.

“We are very pleased at the results of the Work/Life Survey and commend employers for sharing their experiences, practices and policies,” said commission chair Tia Skulski. “Many women today are very savvy about work/life benefits when seeking employment. We shouldn’t have to jeopardize our careers to raise a family and vice versa. Therefore, (the commission) would like to encourage all employers to develop refine or expand their work/life arrangements to reflect the changes in our culture’s family responsibilities.”

The survey, which was funded by the commission at a cost of roughly $1,400, was authorized in late 2004\. A representative sample of companies, collectively employing 11,000 people, completed the survey. Participants included large companies such as RAND Corp., Blue Shield of California, Santa Monica College, and UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center, as well as medium-sized companies and small, locally-owned businesses such as Flap Happy, Heal the Bay and YMCA of Santa Monica.

“RAND competes against some of the most progressive universities and private sector firms in the country for talent, so having employee-friendly policies and programs in place is critical for us,” said Michael Rich, executive vice-president of RAND. “Work/life benefits help us attract and retain talented people, increase productivity, and generally create a supportive work environment.”

Skulski said that the survey is only the first step in a greater effort to raise awareness about the need for more work/life benefits, particularly when so many baby boomers are having children later in life and may be also taking care of elderly parents or other relatives.

According to Skulski, the commission will seek to engage the business community in conducting a complete assessment of work/life benefits offered in the city in hopes that it will lead to more companies jumping on board.

“We hope that the chamber of commerce or other non-profits may get involved because this is only the beginning.” Skulski said. “We did the survey just to entice people to become educated about this and entice others to get involved.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 23, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/022306.pdf?ref=smdp.com)