Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe BEST COMPANIES FOR WORKING MOTHERS Despite the economic downturn, companies are competing for the talent of the nation's 26 million working mothers, Working Mother magazine reports. Advertisement In the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers," Working Mother laid out three basic trends among applicants: no rollback of work/life benefits, a post-Sept. 11 increased emphasis on flexible scheduling and augmented use of family leave by employees. "We're also seeing more and more working dads demanding work/life benefits, which is good news for working moms, because then family obligations will less negatively affect mothers' advancement or paycheck," says editor-in-chief Jill Kirschenbaum. The top 10 companies for working women are: Abbott Laboratories, American Express, Bank of America, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Colgate-Palmolive, Computer Associates, Fannie Mae, General Mills and IBM. NEW CHILD-FRIENDLY CAT SCAN A new technology is taking the worry out of getting a CAT scan for children and their parents, according to the technology's manufacturer, Siemens. The scanner is more kid friendly than medical equipment of the past -- it's wide open like a doughnut and not confining for a child. Plus, the scanner isn't at some far-off hospital, it can used in the doctor's office. Advertisement "I think from a clinical standpoint, from a patient comfort standpoint, you'd be happy not to have to go to two different offices, wait a week or three days, but have the work done right away," says Bappa Choudry of Siemens. The scanner also is better for children because they can avoid sedation and not have to be in the machine for as long a time. RESTAURANTS BIG PART OF AMERICAN DREAM Getting a piece of the American dream may start at a nearby restaurant. According to the National Restaurant Association, 9 out of 10 salaried employees at table-service restaurants, including owners, operators and managers, started as hourly employees. "Dishwasher" was the first restaurant job among 16 percent of restaurateurs, "bus person" among 10 percent, "cook" among 10 percent, and "server" among 9 percent. The association, based in Washington, D.C., says more than one-third of Americans have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives. In addition, the 1.5 million food service and lodging managers in the industry represent the largest number of managerial employees in the country. LESS TRANSFAT IN FRITO-LAY SNACKS Frito-Lay says it is taking major steps in its commitment to offer a wide variety of healthier snacks by eliminating transfats from its salty offerings -- Doritos, Tostitos and Cheetos. Advertisement Along with the transfat elimination, Frito-Lay also will introduce Lay's Reduced Fat chips and Cheetos Reduced Fat snacks in the coming months. Early next year, the snack company will eliminate the hydrogenated oils and convert to corn oil, a transfat-free oil, in the production of Doritos, Tostitos and Cheetos -- all without compromising taste, the snack maker says. The company's Lay's and Ruffles potato chips already are prepared in transfat-free oils.
