Working Mothers Magazine cited excellent companies for working moms

It's no longer unusual if you see working mothers in the office, streets, or restaurants.  With the high cost of living, children's education, and bills to pay, couples should help each other to make both ends meet.

Working Mother Magazine has recently named and honored 100 companies that set a standard for work-life practices in the U.S. and some employers in specific have excelled at giving the benefits and policies important to make life easier for moms.

"These companies are committed to serve their most precious resource, their employees," Jennifer Owens, Working Mother Media editorial director, told Business Insider. "They are asking tough questions and challenging themselves to be family-friendly in an era of 24/7 global work."

According to Working Mother Magazine, advancements on the workplace for the past 30 years made life a little bearable for working moms. Before, only a few companies offer fully paid maternity leave, but now, the compiled list of 100 companies offer paid maternity leave to full-time employees, and others offer paid paternity leave and paid adoption leave as well, which was not given attention some 30 years ago.

Companies that were flexible and paid time off are offered for parenting needs, advancement programs, and child-care options climbed to the top of the list.  IBM and Johnson & Johnson are the only two companies that earned a place on the list since it first listing.

The magazine's criteria for choosing the best companies is based on flexibility, paid time off, advancement and childcare together with other benefits.  The list was compiled through a 500-question survey and to be eligible, an employer must offer at least one week of paid maternity leave and have 500 U.S. employees, as reported by CNN Money. 

In July, IBM (IBM, Tech30) announced that it will shoulder the cost for traveling mothers to ship their breast milk home.  The tech company also offers new mothers 14 weeks paid leave, while, at Johnson & Johnson, new moms can enjoy up to 17 weeks of paid leave.

Working Mother magazine's list was first launched in 1985 and included 30 companies where only five offered paid maternity leave and none offered paternity leave.  However, it is not required in the U.S. that new fathers are paid paternity leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act and legally rendered in 1993, some workers are required 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave.