Workplace issues like career advancement, child care, flexiblework schedules, leave policies and wage equality are not justfemale concerns. Today, men also recognize the benefits of workingfor an employer that offers you the ability to be successful atwork while still taking care of your family responsibilities.

Hundreds of companies compete each year to be recognized asWorking Mother 100 Best Companies, based onfour primary criteria—advancement of women, paid parental leave,child care and flexible work schedules. This year, nine insurancecompanies (P&C, life and health) received the honor.

Flexible work schedules highly valued

Our nation is home to 24 million working mothers—70% of momswith kids under age 18 are employed. Flexibility is the No. 1policy working moms covet, according to Working Mother. Flex comes in a variety ofshapes and sizes, and the 2015 Best Companies all offer it. Anaverage of 74% of employees use basic flextime, but theseorganizations also focus on ways to individualize flexible workofferings to best serve all of their employees and business.

Sadly, most new parents in the United States receive nopaid leave when they have a baby or adopt a child. Only 5% ofcompanies offer fully paid maternity leave, according tothe 2014 National Study of Employers, from theFamilies and Work Institute. By contrast, every Working Mother 100 Best Company offersfully paid maternity leave to its full-time employees who have beenon the payroll for at least a year.

On the following pages are the nine insurance companiesrecognized as 2015 Working Mother 100 Best Companies (listed inalphabetical order).

1. Allianz Life Insurance Company of NorthAmerica (Golden Valley, Minn.)

It costs $40 per day, on average, to use the day care at Allianzheadquarters, which serves 100 kids. At that same site, a gymoffers exercise classes ($20 per month). As an added incentive,active employees can earn medical premium discounts worth $300 to$600 per year.

Allianz annually offers employees $5,250 in tuition aid, a401(k) with 7.5% salary match and up to $1,200 in health savingaccount (HSA) contributions. In hard times, they can request $5,000in grants to cover their medical or living expenses and take 20extra paid days off.

2. Allstate Insurance (Northbrook, Ill.)

This property and casualty insurer maintains a day care facilityand medical clinics at its largest sites and offers a twice-dailyshuttle to a fitness center near headquarters.

Alternative schedules and seminars on optimism, mindfulness andmeditation keep things positive. Affinity groups address issuesimportant to women and parents.

3. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina(Durham, N.C.)

Up to 25 days of infant transition care or backup child care areavailable annually. Those who scale back their hours (withmanagement’s approval) won’t injure their chances for promotion.Also, new "Lean In" circles support career achievement.

Babysitting evenings held on-site also give Mom and Dad timealone. This company also offers summer day camps for kids under age12, keeping children entertained when school is not insession.

4. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ(Newark, N.J.)

Forty nine percent of employees here work from home full-or part-time. Many of the health insurer's six offices operatetheir own fitness and/or day care centers, labs, medical clinicsand pharmacies.

Women earn 39% of the organization’s top salaries. Membership inthe Women LEAD affinity network has risen 50% since 2013.

5. MassMutual Financial Group (Springfield,Mass.)

Employees receive three fully paid weeks off after a birth oradoption (to be added to any short-term disability leave); somejob-share, flex or reduce their hours to look after newarrivals.

Parent Community groups are held monthly to discuss career,family, benefits, emotional health and more. Moms can requestup to $5,000 in tuition aid per year to obtain advanced degrees,yet also pursue down-to-earth lessons at seminars on simplifyinglife, fighting stress and raising healthy kids.

6. MetLife (New York, N.Y.)

Employees get eight weeks of parental leave for primarycaregivers (and two for secondary caregivers), to be added to anyexisting short-term disability leave. Parents may alsocombine the new leave with paid time off and/or unpaid time toarrange up to six months away from the office.

The Families at MetLife group provides an instant community,while the Work-Life ASSIST program can help with personal tasks andfind child care or counseling.

7. New York Life (New York, N.Y.)

Eighty percent of employees here use flexible schedules.Some work less when their kids are young, then ramp back up yearslater.

The Women’s Initiative network at this insurance company,serving 1,000-plus female employees in 15 locations, engagesmembers in thought-provoking discussions, collaborative businessprojects and meaningful mentoring.

8. Prudential Financial (Newark, N.J.)

Ninety percent of the workforce enjoys some kind of flexiblework arrangement (in 2002, only 9% of all employees responding to asurvey said they used a flexible work arrangement).

Prudential offers 100 hours of subsidized backup child/familycare annually, to be used with a nationwide provider or at its ownon-site child care facilities in Dresher, Pa., and Newark, N.J.(each of which provides an extra 20 days of care per child eachyear, plus 20 days of free transition care for infants).

Workshops on special needs and elder care complement thecompany’s more than 70 health and work life webinars.

9. Zurich North America (Schaumburg,Ill.)

Women earn one third of all top salaries and can request up to$5,000 in tuition assistance annually. Near-site child care andsubsidized backup care are available to parents. Driving YourCareer workshops, designed for those at all levels, encourage womento think about expanding their education and making smart jobtransitions.

New business and leadership programs offered by this insuranceprovider help executive women move into the next phase of theircareers. At present, 33% of female employees here also belong toits Women’s Innovation Network, a resource group devoted to theirdevelopment, which is now launching a mentoringinitiative.

Related: The 5 best insurance and financial servicecompanies for illennial workers