(February 23, 2007) Thirty-one members of the California Chamber of Commerce have been ranked among the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by Fortune magazine.

California-based companies had the greatest representation, with 13 among the 100 listed. Twenty-seven states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, Canada, have companies making the list.

Companies nominate themselves by going through a detailed application process. Two-thirds of each company’s score relies on a 57-question employee survey that covers such topics as employees’ attitude toward management, camaraderie and job satisfaction.

Factors such as a company’s demography, pay and benefits make up the rest of the score.

Companies must be at least seven years old and have at least 1,000 employees to qualify. For this year’s list, 1,500 companies applied, and 446 went through the full process.

Best to Work For
The following CalChamber members made Fortune’s 2007 list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Company headquarter locations are noted in parentheses.

• American Express (New York, NY). Ranked 74. Nearly one-quarter of this credit card company’s employees have worked for 15 or more years. Employees tenured 12 to 24 months can apply to rotate to a different job, even in another country.
• American Fidelity Assur. (Oklahoma City, OK). Ranked 47. On-site amenities include fitness, training and banking services. After layoffs in 2006, displaced employees were offered free classes and outplacement services and could work through the end of the year.
• Amgen (Thousand Oaks). Ranked 40. Amgen ranks in the top 10 percent of all U.S. companies for paid time off, with 17 paid holidays, vacation time and benefits for adoption and leaves of absence. The company contributes 90 percent toward the cost of health benefits.
• AstraZeneca (Wilmington, DE). Ranked 71. All prescription drugs made by the company are free to employees. Twice a year, a global employee survey is distributed to identify areas of satisfaction and of concern.
• Bain & Co. (Boston, MA). Ranked 45. Bain & Co. stresses a work-life balance with accommodations for leaves of absence and international transfers, and flexible workweeks and schedules. Vernon E. Altman, director, is a CalChamber Board member.
• Bingham McCutchen (Boston, MA). Ranked 94. Job growth has tripled in the last five years at this international law firm. Sixty-five percent of the firm’s employees are women. The firm has the highest percentage of women partners in the industry.
• Bright Horizons (Watertown, MA). Ranked 92. This company sets up child care services for various businesses. Bright Horizons offers discounted health club memberships, tuition and transportation subsidies. Employees working for the company’s child care programs also may use the program for their own children.
• Capital One Financial (McLean, VA). Ranked 84. Eleven percent of workers were promoted last year, perhaps due to the financial services company’s training budget of $48 million. Capital One also is listed on Fortune’s top 10 list for job growth in 2006.
• CarMax (Richmond, VA). Ranked 88. Women make up 25 percent of employees at CarMax, compared to the typical 2.1 percent in the used car industry. This “no haggle” auto retailer donates $10 per hour to non-profit organizations with which its employees volunteer.
• Cisco Systems (San Jose). Ranked 11. This network equipment provider offers programs and opportunities for recent college graduates and students still in school. The chief executive officer meets with new employees to welcome them as soon as they are hired.
• Container Store (Coopell, TX). Ranked 4. This retailer of storage and organizational products pays 50 to 100 percent above the industry average and offers family-friendly shifts to help employees achieve work-life balance.
• Deloitte & Touche USA (New York, NY). Ranked 76. To thank employees for helping reach record revenues, all 35,000 employees were given four extra summer vacation days, plus two extra holidays. Mark A. Edmunds, vice chairman and regional managing partner, Northern Pacific Region, is a CalChamber Board member.
• Ernst & Young (New York, NY). Ranked 25. Ernst & Young’s “People First” culture fosters an inclusive and flexible work environment. Peter H. Griffith, vice chair, Pacific Southwest, is a CalChamber Board member.
• Four Seasons Hotels (Toronto, Ontario). Ranked 53. The average tenure of senior executives and general managers is more than 15 years at this luxury hotel chain. The word must have gotten out — more than 40,000 people applied for jobs last year.
• Granite Construction (Watsonville). Ranked 56. The company pays 100 percent of employees’ health care premiums, much more than the industry standard. Chairman David H. Watts is a CalChamber Board member.
• IKEA North America (Conshohoken, PA). Ranked 96. Part timers who work 20 hours per week are offered low-premium health and dental coverage, including domestic partners and children. The furniture retailer regularly surveys employees to gauge morale and respond to issues.
• Intuit (Mountain View). Ranked 33. Employees can communicate with the chief executive officer during quarterly webcasts, with one session even leading to more vacation time for long-time employees. Tuition assistance, loans to purchase computers, product discounts and commute alternatives are all offered to Intuit staffers.
• Kimley-Horn & Assoc. (Cary, NC). Ranked 28. Employees enjoy a short day on Fridays, working until 11:30 a.m. Any employee can award a $50 on-the-spot bonus to colleagues, and the engineering consultancy also is listed on Fortune’s “Top 10 for job growth” list.
• KPMG (New York, NY). Ranked 97. Last year, the accounting firm more than doubled matching contributions to its 401(k) plan — now 75 cents for every $1 an employee contributes, up to 5 percent of pay. Managing Partner Philip R. Schimmel is a CalChamber Board member.
• Marriott International (Washington, D.C.). Ranked 89. With 54 percent of its employers being women, Marriott is recognized as one of the best companies for working mothers. More than 3,000 current managers started as hourly employees.
• Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN). Ranked 72. Every year during the holiday season, employees gather for what the chief executive officer calls the most important meeting of the year — hearing stories from patients whose lives were improved or saved by Medtronic devices.
• Microsoft (Redmond, WA). Ranked 50. Last year’s added perks included free grocery delivery, dry cleaning service and valet parking. Microsoft also pays 100 percent of employee health care premiums. General Manager LaSandra Thomas is a CalChamber Board member.
• Network Appliance (Sunnyvale). Ranked 6. The data-storage company also is listed in Fortune’s top 10 list for job growth, and 95 percent of employees are able to take advantage of flexible schedules. The president of the company calls 10 to 15 employees each week to thank them personally for their contributions.
• Nixon Peabody (New York, NY). Ranked 49. A nationwide law firm, Nixon Peabody offers tuition reimbursement after six months of full-time employment, financing for personal computers, flex spending accounts for medical, dependent care and transportation expenses, along with bonuses and referral rewards.
• Paychex (Rochester, NY). Ranked 70. The payroll specialist recently upgraded its benefits, adding two extra holidays, $4,000 in adoption aid, new flex schedules and increased tuition reimbursement. Paychex also has been recognized as a top training organization for five years.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (New York, NY). Ranked 58. This “Big Four” accounting firm helped employees hit by Hurricane Katrina by wiring $4,000 to employees’ accounts and providing food, lodging and transportation for three months.
• Procter & Gamble (Cincinnati, OH). Ranked 68. To help its 100,000-plus employees feel connected, this huge company uses anonymous hotlines, blogs by executives and online question-and-answer sessions with the chief executive officer.
• Standard Pacific (Irvine). Ranked 85. This home builder has experienced 25 percent job growth in the last year. The company strives to make each employee “feel encouraged to balance their work and personal life.”
• Umpqua Bank (Portland, OR). Ranked 34. The community bank gives its employees 40 paid hours a year for volunteering. It also pays 100 percent of health care premiums for more than 1,400 employees.
• Valero Energy (San Antonio, TX). Ranked 22. The largest refiner in North America has never laid off an employee. Valero has 11 units on the list of 23 refineries designated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as having the best safety programs.
• Vision Service Plan (Rancho Cordova). Ranked 23. On the Fortune “Top 100” list for its eighth consecutive year, this eye-care benefits company contributes up to 15 percent of pay to employees’ 401(k) plans.