Almost 80 percent of Cornell staff members who completed the Employee Survey last fall indicate that they would recommend Cornell as a good place to work. So, it is not surprising that Cornell has again placed on the Dave Thomas 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces and 100 Best Workplaces for Working Mothers lists.

In a new category in the Working Mothers ranking, Cornell has been recognized as among the top 10 best companies for health and wellness. The university was also singled out recently by the Families and Work Institute for its "promising practices" that support military service men and women transitioning into the civilian workplace.

"Cornell has an ongoing commitment to make the university a good place to work for people of all walks of life," said Lynette Chappell-Williams, associate vice president for workforce inclusion and diversity. "It is gratifying that we continue to be recognized nationally for what we have done. We are especially pleased to be considered one of the companies that, according to Working Mother magazine, 'lead the way to wellness for their employees.'"

Chappell-Williams said that Cornell has continued to promote health and wellness through the Cornell Program for Healthy Living, a health insurance program that includes membership in the Cornell Wellness Program or discounts at local fitness facilities.

This past year, membership in the wellness program increased to 3,100 from 2,700 members, said Beth McKinney, director of the program. Supervisors are strongly encouraged to support employees in wellness program activities during the workday, she said, noting that in an average week, the fitness center and group fitness classes are accessed by wellness program participants more than 650 times.

"In addition to the 650 weekly ID card swipes that we can track, total participation includes swimming, taking Healthy Aging exercise classes and attending health lectures, webinars, cooking classes, life coaching or blood pressure screenings," McKinney said, adding that her office also provides sessions directly to departments and units in their own workspace, more than 22 recorded webinars, and exercise and yoga videos that can be viewed any time.

"With the variety of opportunities offered by the CU Wellness Program, faculty and staff have even greater opportunity to seek out the healthier lifestyle that we are encouraging through the Cornell Program for Healthy Living," said Paul Bursic, senior director of benefits.

The university's advocacy of workplace flexibility, caregiving workshops, Family Helpers List (providing names of people in the area who will baby sit, run errands, do chores, pet sit or provide transportation) and educational opportunities for staff were also factors in Cornell's Working Mother rankings.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption applauded Cornell's workplace flexibility and ranked Cornell third in the education industry. This is the sixth consecutive year Cornell has made the Dave Thomas list and the sixth year Cornell made the top 100 in the Working Mother listing.

Cornell was one of only two higher education institutions whose "promising practices," were highlighted in the Work Life Legacy Award Commemorative Journal along with the eight honorees who received the Families and Work Institute's 2012 Work Life Legacy Military Awards September 19 in New York City.