Ernst & Young LLP Named to FORTUNE's '100 Best Companies to Work for' List for the 12th Year in a Row

NEW YORK, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP announced today that it has been listed among FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for." The firm ranks number 44 on the list of 100 companies. The full list and related stories appear in the February 8 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands on Monday, January 25, and now at fortune.com/bestcompanies.  

"We are proud to be honored for the 12th year among FORTUNE's '100 Best Companies to Work For'," noted Nancy Altobello, Americas Vice Chair of People, Ernst & Young LLP.  "This honor is especially meaningful given the tough economic climate of the past year.  We have worked hard to stay connected, to be clear about our vision and strategy, and to continue to provide the right learning and coaching to help our people achieve their potential. Our commitment to our people remains as strong as ever."

Ernst & Young LLP professionals receive competitive compensation and a unique basket of benefits. They enjoy free access to personal financial planners, generous time-off and parental leave policies as well as a range of flexibility and life-assistance programs including flexible work arrangements, back-up childcare and "college coaching" for parents whose children are going to college.

In addition to these benefits, here are highlights of new initiatives Ernst & Young LLP has added to benefit its people, alumni and potential hires in the past year:

• EYU, an expanded learning and development effort, was launched throughout the Americas. EYU, which stands for "Ernst & Young and You" is available to every professional within the organization and focuses on three key elements: learning, experiences and coaching.
• Ernst & Young has continued to raise the bar on its internal environmental sustainability efforts. In the past year, all US offices have made efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
• College MAP, a unique mentoring program that helps low-income students prepare for college, was launched in September. College MAP uses a team-based model that allows employees to share volunteer responsibilities and provide robust mentoring experiences. It addresses Ernst & Young's top priority for education: enabling minority and disadvantaged youth to gain access to college and succeed in higher education.
• Connect, Ernst & Young's quarterly alumni magazine was launched this past year. This new publication has helped alumni stay connected to the organization and each other.
• Award-winning online recruitment tools, such as EY Insight and EY Experience, were created for both students and experienced hire candidates to learn about what Ernst & Young has to offer as an employer. (For more information on these tools, please visit www.ey.com/us/eyinsight and www.ey.com/us/eyexperience.)

Ernst & Young LLP people are able to build their skills and careers in an inclusive and flexible work environment where they can learn and grow through challenging work assignments, career mobility, formal learning and a feedback-rich culture.  The firm places an emphasis on the importance of diverse teams — with all people bringing their unique perspectives to the table to help clients solve their business challenges.

"We work hard to recruit, develop and retain the best and the brightest," continued Altobello.  "With that said, it's really the commitment of all of our people to our inclusive, team-oriented culture that makes Ernst & Young such a great place to work."

FORTUNE Deputy Managing Editor Hank Gilman said, "The most important considerations for this year's list were hiring and the ways in which companies are helping their employees weather the recession. All 100 companies on our list are currently hiring, many of them aggressively, leading to more than 96,000 open job positions expected in the next year."

To pick the 100 Best Companies, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the Institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about the management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the company's responses to the Institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring, communication, and diversity.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 144,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

For more information, please visit www.ey.com

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a US client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP