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Citizens Financial Group ranks No. 1 on Dave Thomas Foundation’s Top 100 Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list
CFG recognized as the nation’s top in providing colleagues with adoption assistance, including up to $20,960 per adoption and paid leave Providence, R.I. (April 30, 2007) - Citizens Financial Group, Inc. has been selected as the number one company on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s list of the Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in America. The list, being released today by the Foundation, features the top 100 companies in the nation based on the amount of financial reimbursement offered to employees per adoption and amount of paid leave. CFG was also being recognized as number one among financial services companies.
For each adoption, CFG’s Adoption Assistance Program offers employees up to $20,960 in support, the most of any company on the top 100 list. CFG also provides colleagues with one week of paid leave.
Dave Thomas, who was an adopted child and founder of Wendy’s Restaurants and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, started the adoption benefits in the workplace initiative more than 15 years ago, simply by calling other CEOs to suggest they add adoption benefits to their human resource packages because, as he said, “It’s the right thing to do.”
“We’ve learned from colleagues that adopting a child can unfortunately become a financial decision,” said Katherine F. McKenzie, Group Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Citizens Financial Group. “By offering financial assistance, we help ease the financial burden and we deliver on the Citizens Credo – our commitment to customers, colleagues and the communities in which we live and work.”
Rita Soronen, executive director of the Foundation, said approximately 64 percent of Americans have had a personal experience with adoption. “The Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in America list recognizes employers who excel at supporting their employees who adopt by providing financial assistance and paid leave,” she said. “Citizens Financial Group is a great example of a company that takes community responsibility very seriously. Its generous adoption benefits signify their commitment to their employees, as well as to helping children find families."
During the past 10 years, a child has been adopted by a CFG colleague almost each month. More than 100 children have been adopted by nearly 100 colleagues. Those colleagues include Paula Cavallaro, a trust administrator of Citizens Bank of Rhode Island.
“Adoption is one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences,” said Cavallaro. “The first time you see your child, when she is finally no longer just a picture, is just incredible. My family and I will always be thankful to Citizens Bank for helping us make our dream come true.”
In addition to offering adoption assistance, CFG provides an array of benefits to support colleagues’ families, including its CFG Scholars Program, Home Buyer Assistance Program, Emergency Assistance Program, Military Leave Assistance Program and Child Care Subsidy Program – to name a few.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is a $161 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,100 ATMs and more than 25,000 employees. It operates its 13-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. Citizens is the eighth-largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits and ninth ranked by assets as of September 30, 2006. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).
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