SLO County Family-Friendly Workplaces is excited to announce the most recent round of SLO County Family-Friendly Workplaces Awardees. These awards are for public, private and nonprofit employers of any size on the Central Coast and seek to recognize and support organizations that adopt and implement family-friendly workplace practices for their employees.

The award structure is designed to uplift employers working towards more family-friendly practices at any level. There are five award levels that span five separate areas:  1) Employer-Sponsored Child Care Benefits, 2) Flexible Work & Scheduling, 3) Paid & Unpaid Leave, 4) Health Care Benefits and Flexible Spending, and 5) New Parent Accommodation & Support.  

“We are thrilled to see more and more businesses working to create a better work-life balance for their employees,” said Christina Lefevre Latner, Workforce Development Manager at the SLO Chamber. “We have even seen numerous award recipients implement additional family-friendly practices and then reapply to increase their award level, which is really exciting to see.”

The newest 2022 SLO County Family-Friendly Workplaces Awardees, by award level, are:

This round of award recipients received recognition at Good Morning SLO on January 26. “A huge perk of working here is access to paid community work,” said an employee from Megan’s Organic Market. “There is a policy that lets employees utilize paid time to volunteer with local organizations, including coaching their children’s sports.” Employees from Goodly and Family Care Network expressed similar sentiments around flexibility in the workplace and the peace of mind that comes with knowing their employer supports them in caring for their family.

Employers throughout the county are encouraged to take the Family-Friendly Workplaces assessment, which serves as a tool to measure their family-friendly policies, confirms what they already have in place is a best practice, and connect them directly with personalized assistance to learn more about next steps to make their business more family-friendly. This is the beginning of a process that will work with the organization’s unique needs and ultimately make them more attractive for existing and potential workers, all at no cost to employers. At the end of the assessment, businesses can opt in to receive award recognition. Applications for the next round of awardees are due March 31, 2023.

Employers who complete the assessment and meet the recognition criteria will receive a certificate of recognition, a SLO County Family-Friendly Workplaces electronic seal for use on the organization’s website, promotion and recruiting materials, media recognition, inclusion of the employer on the SLO Family-Friendly Workplace website and invitations to networking opportunities and special events. Additionally, a Family-Friendly Workplaces toolkit is available as a resource for all businesses.