Argonne wins Golden Family Award for outstanding support of family issues

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ARGONNE, Ill. (June 15, 2009) — The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has won the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Golden Family Award.

The award recognizes a company in the Chicago area for its commitment to support of family issues including the delicate balance between work and family.

Argonne has always believed employee wellness to be essential and has implemented several programs including an on-site child development center; six weeks of maternity leave with extensions for medical reasons; no-cost referral program for employees seeking professional counseling for personal, family or work-related concerns including substance abuse; adoption assistance; eldercare resources; wellness program and on-site health fairs; work-at-home; job sharing; flex time; part-time employment; and alternate work schedules.

Based in Chicago , the Society of Women Engineers is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering, and to be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders. Founded in 1950, SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women through an exciting array of training and development programs, networking opportunities, scholarships, outreach and advocacy activities, and much more.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

For more information, please contact Brock Cooper (630/252-5565 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.

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