Work Life Balance Programs Make Colgate Palmolive Stand Out

Colgate Palmolive Hellas (Colgate Greece) is number one on the Great Place to Work Institute's list of 100 Best Workplaces in Europe 2006. Honored for its work/life balance programs, the subsidiary of the U.S.-based multinational maker of toothpaste, soap and other products, boasts an average voluntary turnover rate of 3.3% and an absenteeism rate for 2005 of just 0.3%. Flextime for all employees and up to 24 months' time off for new mothers (nine more months than the legal requirement) are two of its most valued strategies. The company's training procedures have become a best-practices model for the larger corporation, contributing to pilot seminars. (100 Best Workplaces in Europe [Great Places to Work Institute], 2006, p. 5)