ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Family Friendly Business Award Program is open to any New Mexico business, organization, educational institution, or governmental agency with two employees or more. Chief operating officer at Family Friendly New Mexico, Julianna Silva provides insight into how this award program works and who it’s benefitting.

Family Friendly New Mexico was founded in 2015 as a project under The Center of Southwest Culture. The New Mexico Family Friendly Business Award developed from early work of the New Mexico Task Force on Work-Life Balance which was convened by state legislature in 2010 and 2011.

The task force was to develop a consistent definition of family-friendly policies across New Mexico. The Family Friendly Business Award was launched by Family Friendly New Mexico to recognize and support businesses that adopt and implement family-friendly policies for their employees.

The Family Friendly Business Award program is a selfl-reporting, online form that walks applicants through a series of questions about the family-friendly workplace policies organizations currently have in place. Policies are not required to be in writing as long as they are clearly communicated and applied to all employees.

There are a total of 22 policies among seven categories. Applicants are also asked to confirm their policies comply with the three workplace laws in New Mexico: New Mexico Breastfeeding Law, the Promoting Financil Independence for Victims of Domestic Abuse Act, and the New Mexico Fair Pay for Women Act.

After completing the application, applicants immediately learn what level of award they have received. The levels are:

  • Platinum (Distinguished Leader): Recipients meet at least two family-friendly policies in each of the first four categories plus one policy in each of the three Platinum level categories.
  • Gold (Committed Leader): Recipients meet at least one family-friendly policy in each of the four categories.
  • Silver (Rising Leader): Recipients meet any three family-friendly policies.
  • Bronze (On the Pathway): Recipients meet two or less family-friendly policies and receive information and educational materials in order to continue to strive for a more family-friendly business.

The award program is based on an annual application. Employers can apply any time during the year however, the official renewal phase opens in October each year.

For more information on the Family Friendly Business Award, or to see if your business qualifies, visit NMFamilyFriendlyBusiness.org.