Duke Named Among Top Family-Friendly Workplaces

Carolina Parent magazine has named Duke University and Health System one of the top family-friendly workplaces in North Carolina. The magazine will published its 13th annual family-friendly list in its September issue, which identifies the top 50 employers in North Carolina that promote work-life balance through various benefits and policies. Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration, said that Duke is proud to be honored by Carolina Parent and other organizations as a best place to work. "Duke has been recognized by Carolina Parent for its family benefits and support for more than a decade," Cavanaugh said. "That's a sign of an enduring commitment to our faculty, staff and their family members. Our goal is to provide the type of environment where our faculty and staff can reach their full potential to meet their personal and professional goals." Duke provides many traditional family-friendly benefits such as child care, time-off benefits, flexible work arrangements, education assistance, retirement and elder care to assist faculty and staff in balancing the demands of work and family. As an academic institution, Duke also offers many non-traditional family-friendly offerings such as Duke Gardens, the Nasher Museum of Art, day camps and athletic events.  Last year more than 9,000 employees and their family members came out for the annual Employee Kick-Off Celebration, where employees and their families receive a free meal, activities and free admission to the first Duke Football game of the season. One of the most popular benefits every year is PERQs, an employee discounts program that offers hundreds of discounts to local businesses. Melissa Dean, staff assistant at the Duke Lemur Center, uses the program to purchase discounted movie tickets for her family. "We like going to the movies as a family," Dean said. "We have different tastes, but we take turns deciding what to see. I save about $10 each time we use the tickets. That helps pay for the fact that we usually complete the evening by going out to eat."  With more than 34,000 faculty and staff, Duke is the largest private employer in the Triangle. For more information about Duke's family-friendly programs, visit the Family-Friendly Benefits website.