For the fifth consecutive year, TRW Inc. (NYSE: TRW) has been named by Working Mother magazine as one of the nation’s 100 best companies for working mothers in the American workplace.
 
According to the magazine’s 15th annual report on the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers, which appears in the October 2000 issue, companies are becoming increasingly strategic about leveraging the satisfaction of their work force vis-a-vis corporate policies and benefits to achieve bottom-line satisfaction for the company’s shareholders.
 
"We’re extremely pleased to again receive this honor from Working Mother magazine," said Joseph T. Gorman, TRW’s chairman and chief executive officer. "TRW operates in a business environment where worldwide the competition for dedicated and highly-educated and skilled employees is intense. We’ve long recognized the critical importance of providing a family-friendly workplace for all of our employees. Flexible work schedules, telecommuting and job sharing are just a few of the many ways the business community can help employees balance the pressures of home and office. It is our experience that high levels of employee satisfaction ultimately lead to greater customer satisfaction."
 
Working Mother magazine has selected TRW for its "100 Best" list seven times in the last 10 years. The October issue of the magazine, now available on newsstands, rates companies on several criteria including: child care, leave for new parents, flexible work arrangements, work-life benefits such as elder care and adoption assistance, and opportunities for women to advance. Editors looked at a range of supportive company offerings, including health insurance premiums, availability of time off to care for sick kids, mentoring programs and extras such as on-site gyms and other conveniences.
 
Over the years, TRW has developed a wide range of programs and benefits tailored to meet both the family needs of its employees and the general needs of the communities where its facilities are located. Programs and benefits available include the following: flexible work schedules, telecommuting, job sharing, dependent care assistance for children and elders, managerial and professional development programs, rewards for innovation and achievement, financial support for education, scholarship programs, stock savings plans, employee fitness programs and centers, and a worldwide health assistance program.
 
"TRW prides itself on maintaining a proactive yet strategic approach to implementing work-life programs," declares James A. Garman, vice president of human resources, TRW Space & Electronics Group. "We use joint management/employee teams to identify employee needs and make
recommendations on how to best address those needs before they become significant concerns for the work force."
 
Garman points to the Launching Pad, TRW’s nationally accredited on-site child care center, as one of the most successful examples of such teamwork. Opened in 1991 at the company’s Space Park facility in Redondo Beach, Calif., the facility features one of the largest infant care programs in the country. Of 200 children enrolled at the center, 72 are less than two years old.
 
"The Launching Pad was an outgrowth of the fact that TRW employees were having difficulty finding quality infant care in the local community," said Garman. "The high quality of child care available at the Launching Pad and our employees’ continued satisfaction with the center are among the key reasons that TRW has been recognized repeatedly by Working Mother magazine." The Launching Pad is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
 
Space Park is also home to TRW’s Professional Development Center (PDC), a library-like resource center opened in 1997 to provide TRW employees with an on-going opportunity to develop their professional potential. Staffed by TRW employees and consultants, the PDC offers employees a range of
career-related books, videos, training courses and noontime seminars. TRW employees can browse its resources either in person during the regular workday, or via computer from their own desks using the PDC web site.
 
Complete survey results, including in-depth analysis of the Working Mother’s 2000 "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers," can be found in the October 2000 issue of Working Mother and on its Web site www.workingmother.com.
 
TRW provides advanced technology products and services for the global automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and information systems markets. TRW news releases are available on the corporate Web site www.trw.com.
 
Contact:
A. Brooks McKinney
Phone: 310.814.8177
Email: brooks.mckinney@trw.com