AstraZeneca Recognized as One of Working Mother's '100 Best Companies' for the Sixth Consecutive Year

WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AstraZeneca , a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, has been named one of the "100 Best Companies" to work for by Working Mother magazine for the sixth consecutive year, an honor that recognizes the company's commitment to work-life balance, retention and advancement of working women.

AstraZeneca provides extensive benefits designed to keep its employees happy and healthy, and this year, the company received particular recognition from Working Mother for its flexible work arrangements and day care benefits. Employee network groups for parents and caregivers, telecommuting options, parental leaves and compressed workweeks are other programs that contribute to a supportive working culture for mothers at AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca's day care center, which offers full and part-time care for young children and infants and a summer day camp, before and after school and holiday care for school-age children, was highlighted along with the company's adoption benefits. The company subsidizes 90 percent of the cost for up to 10 days of back-up in-home or center-based childcare for well and sick children per year for all of its U.S. employees. The program is also available to employees who must take time off from work to care for their elderly parents.

"AstraZeneca's mission is focused on patient health, and that includes the health and well-being of our employees and a workplace environment that supports them both professionally and personally," said Tony Zook, President and CEO, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, U.S. "We understand working mothers, like many employees, have responsibilities that go far beyond the office walls, and we do our best to support their distinct needs."

Carol A. Richards, District Sales Manager for AstraZeneca, explained how a job sharing arrangement she requested while pregnant allowed her to work three days a week and maintain her managerial role. When Richards' son was born with physical issues (hemiplegia), her flexible work arrangement made it possible for her to be present during his therapy sessions and to continue working part-time long after the initial job share.

"This flexibility allowed me to balance my family's needs with my career goals," said Richards. "Although I have recently returned to full-time status, I am thankful that I had AstraZeneca's support during those first four years. I also cannot say enough about AstraZeneca's health plan benefits. The coverage for my son's care is phenomenal."

The Working Mother "100 Best Companies" list will appear in the October 2007 issue of the publication.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading bio-pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $26.47 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $12.44 billion health care business with more than 12,000 employees. For nearly three decades, AstraZeneca has offered drug assistance programs side by side with its medicines, and over the past five years, has provided over three billion in savings to more than one million patients throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. AstraZeneca has been named one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine and is the only large pharmaceutical company named to FORTUNE magazine's 2007 list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." In 2006, for the fifth consecutive year, Science magazine named AstraZeneca a "Top Employer" on its ranking of the world's most respected biopharmaceutical employers. For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/.

About Working Mother

Founded in 1979, Working Mother magazine reaches nearly 3 million readers and is the only national magazine for career mothers. Its 22-year signature initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. The publication also releases the annual list of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women in the June issue. Working Mother is published by Working Mother Media (WMM), which also owns the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), NAFE Magazine, the annual 100 Best Companies WorkLife Congress, as well as the Best Companies for Multicultural Women Conference and regional Town Halls. In 2006, WMM acquired Diversity Best Practices, the preeminent organization for diversity thought leaders.

Methodology for selecting Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies":

AstraZeneca was selected for the 2007 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application of 575 questions. The application included detailed questions about workforce, compensation, child-care and flexibility programs, leave policies and more. It also checked the usage, availability and tracking of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them. Seven areas were measured and scored: workforce profile, compensation, child-care, flexibility, time off and leaves, family-friendly programs, and company culture. For this year's 100 Best, particular weight was given to flexibility and family-friendly policies.

For more information on the 2007 Working Mother "100 Best Companies" and for a complete list of winners, visit http://www.workingmother.com/

Media Contact: Leah Smith 302-885-4675 Leah.Smith@astrazeneca.com