The Best Place for Working Parents® (BP4WP) is a growing national network of business leaders who are showing that family-friendly policies are business-friendly policies.

The organization, which can be found in ten U.S. states, established a partnership with the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber Foundation in June 2022.

As of February 2024, 100 Huntsville-area businesses have earned this year’s Best Place for Working Parents designation.

Companies complete a free, online self-assessment to determine if they qualify for the title. The assessment is based on ten research-backed metrics that have been shown to be mutually beneficial to both working parents and to the businesses where they are employed.

Sadie Funk, national director of The Best Place for Working Parents, explained to the Huntsville Business Journal how the online evaluation works.

“Our proprietary technology analyzes the data from the self-assessments to instantly determine whether businesses qualify for the designation,” said Funk. “There is not a set number of policies required by all businesses, as the BP4WP designation requirements vary by size of business. We do this so companies have the opportunity to get creative on which benefits work best for their workforce today.”

Policies like parental leave, onsite childcare services, and nursing benefits are just a few of the metrics by which BP4WP measures the “family friendliness” of a company.

Savvy business owners are recognizing that advancing policies that support families is not simply a generous approach, it is also a prudent business practice.

“More than 19 million US workers—and counting—have quit their jobs since April 2021, a record pace disrupting businesses everywhere,” reports McKinsey. “Among survey respondents who had left their jobs, 45 percent cited the need to take care of family as an influential factor in their decision.”

Huntsville business owners who recognize employees’ need to fulfill caretaking responsibilities have a competitive edge in maintaining a high-caliber workforce.

“With two thirds of children under age six having both parents in the workforce, family friendly policies are a must for businesses looking to attract and retain top talent,” Funk told the Huntsville Business Journal. “Businesses across the Greater Huntsville area are showing how the Huntsville market is ready to compete for that national talent through wide adoption of The Best Place for Working Parents Top 10 Policies.”

Chelsea Montgomery works as an Adolescent Guide (Instructor) at the Montessori School of Huntsville, which has earned the BP4WP designation.

When Montgomery’s mother became ill and passed away at the end of the fall semester, the school’s administrators and fellow instructors worked together to support Montgomery and her family.

“When my mother fell ill, I had to miss several weeks of work,” Montgomery told the Business Journal. “All the staff and administrators rallied around me and supported me not only by taking care of my students and classroom but, more importantly, by providing emotional support. This helped me to be there for my daughter and the rest of my family during that difficult time.”

Huntsville’s participation in the BP4WP network grants all Huntsville-area businesses, regardless of whether they have earned the designation or not, to attend the Best Place for Working Parents National Summit at no cost.

The National Summit will be held May 8-10 in Nashville, TN.