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"Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff he's made of." —Josh Billings

JP MORGAN CHASE OFFERS FREE INFANT CARE

Nothing is harder for new parents than leaving a new baby for the first time. Employees of JP Morgan Chase can put this off for a while, according to the October 2002 Work & Family Newsbrief (www.workfamily.com).

"For the first eight weeks after new mothers return to work -- even if they've taken an extended leave of absence -- the company invites them to bring their infants along and drop them off at one of their backup care centers for free. Most centers are just steps away, so mothers can drop in for visits or breast-feeding. Called the "Eight Week Advantage Program," by early next year it will be offered at 17 JP Morgan Chase locations around the country. The program, now in its eighth year, has been a life-saver for many, says Chase work-life manager Christine Fossacecca. "When an employee feels less torn between going back to work and staying home with her baby," she says, "the loyalty factor is tremendous." While they've tracked the savings from their backup care centers ($803,000 in one year), they just know, says Fossaceca, that the free infant care has made a big difference for people, and thus for the company."