Freddie Mac Awarded for Supporting Employees

Freddie Mac is the recipient of this year's CARE (Companies as Responsive Employers) Award in the large company category from Northern Virginia Family Service. The awards recognize companies that are leaders in providing family-friendly benefits and policies for its employees and that are committed to helping employees maintain a healthy worklife balance.

According to findings by the Northern Virginia Family Service, businesses play a key role in strengthening families and communities through the adoption of family-supportive workplace policies. The CARE initiative began in 1992 in response to a growing number of counseling clients who cited workplace stress as a major factor in their family difficulties. In an effort to curb this trend, Northern Virginia Family Service enlisted the support of the business community. The result was the CARE Advisory Committee, whose members serve as ambassadors for families in the workplace, showing business leaders that good business and healthy families go hand-in-hand.

The Advisory Committee developed the CARE Awards as a mechanism for effecting change where problems often start – in the workplace. Each year the CARE Awards are given to employers in Northern Virginia that provide exceptionally family-friendly workplace policies and benefits for their employees.

"As an employer, Freddie Mac has strived to help our 5,000 employees realize their own dreams as well as to attract and retain top talent at the company by fostering a strong work-life balance," says Mike Hager, senior vice president of Human Resources. "Striking a balance between work and home life can be a tremendous challenge for many people. We recognize this, and therefore, we help our employees meet this challenge by providing them with innovative and flexible work-life benefits," he adds.

Recently, Working Mother and Washingtonian magazines also recognized Freddie Mac for our unique and flexible work-life benefits and programs. In addition, Freddie Mac won a CARE award in 2001.