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The employers have been shortlisted across eight categories ranging from SMEs to Family Support and Best for Dads. The Awards, sponsored by McDonald's Restaurants Ltd, will be announced 4th November.
This year marks the fifth annual Top Employer Awards which celebrate companies who are leading the field in developing innovative ways of smart working suited to today's world.
The Awards recognise employers of all kinds who are progressive in their flexible working practices and proactive in seeking to retain talented staff, particularly working parents who want to combine successful careers with being a parent.
The shortlisted companies are:
SME Award, sponsored by WM Recruit
(Split into sections for companies with up to 25 employees, and up to 250 employees.) For small companies who demonstrate a real commitment to work life balance practices which specifically help working parents, such as flexible working, support on return to work from maternity leave and career development for women.
SME 1-25 Shortlisted: Saros Research Ltd, Cream Consultancy, Reality HR Ltd, Parental Choice, Archie & Doris, UK Body Talk Ltd, Hireserve Ltd, First Tutors.
SME 26-250 Shortlisted: McMillan Williams Solicitors, iCrossing Ltd, Kloud Ltd.
Innovation in Flexible Working, sponsored by Atkins
To be eligible employers needed to demonstrate specific policies and practices related to flexible working which are truly innovative and break new ground, whether that be in a particular industry or in general.
Shortlisted: BAE Systems, IBM UK Ltd, Unilever, AT Kearney Ltd.
Best for Dads, sponsored by IG Group
For organisations showing specific policies targeting dads, such as inclusive parenting networks, publications and outreach targeted around dads' rights, shared parenting initiatives and innovative policies on parental and paternity leave.
Shortlisted: The London School of Economics and Political Science, A T Kearney Ltd.
Family Support
For organisations who demonstrated policies and practices which aim to make it easier to balance work and family life.
Shortlisted: BAE Systems, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, The Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh).
Talent Attraction, sponsored by CA Technologies
For organisations who demonstrate that their recruitment process openly promotes flexible working.
Shortlisted: Reality HR Ltd, Get Ahead VA.
Career progression, sponsored by Royal Mail
To be eligible employers should demonstrate initiatives aimed at developing women's leadership potential, including women's networks, mentoring initiatives and return to work programmes.
Shortlisted: London School of Economics and Political Science, AT Kearney Ltd, Sapient Ltd, P-zazz.
Working Mums Champion, sponsored by Arise Virtual Solutions
This Award is for stand-out individuals whose efforts have made a big difference to working mums in their workplace.
Shortlisted: Adeline Ginn, Angel Trains; Shilpa Shah, Deloitte; Sue Whalley, Royal Mail Group; Fiona Roche, Lloyds Banking Group.
Overall Top Employer Award
An overall Top Employer will be chosen from the winners of each category.
Gillian Nissim, Founder of Workingmums.co.uk, says:
"We are excited by the standard of entries this year and the breadth of industries represented, from law and banking to transport and engineering. The aim of these Awards and our Best Practice Report which features our winners is to spread the word about the innovative practices these businesses employ so that others can be inspired by them. These employers fully understand the business case for recruiting and retaining talented female staff and go out of their way to back that up with action."
Judged by an expert panel
The Awards will be judged by an expert panel made up of Gillian Nissim; Andy Lake, editor of Flexibility.co.uk; Jennifer Liston-Smith, Director of Coaching & Consultancy at My Family Care; Dave Dunbar, Head of BT Flexible Working Services; and Clare Kelliher, Professor of Work and Organisation at Cranfield School of Management.
