Three months after being recognized by Forbes as a top workplace for diversity, Sandia has earned another Forbes distinction, this time a spot among the 500 Best Large Employers.

According to Forbes, the winners were chosen based on an independent survey of approximately 50,000 U.S. employees who work for companies that employ at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. The survey, fielded across all industry sectors, sought anonymous input on employees’ willingness to recommend their employer and their opinions on working conditions, salary and development potential.

Sandia was the only DOE lab and the only New Mexico-based entity to make the list.

This year, the Labs added a four-day-week work schedule option and paid family leave, which allows employees time off to care for newborn, adopted and foster children, as well as seriously ill family members. These enhanced a suite of work-life-balancing benefits that already included the 9/80 work schedule, an onsite health clinic and preventive health and fitness classes.

“Given the importance and complexity of Sandia’s work, we’re competing for talent, not just with other national laboratories, but with all leading tech and R&D employers,” said Rob Nelson, director of Human Resources. “It’s great to be recognized, but we know we need to keep working to understand and provide the benefits our employees and candidates care about.”

Also in April, recruiting website Zippia selected Sandia as the best company to work for in New Mexico, citing the Labs’ workplace diversity, variety of career paths and company performance. Sandia was rated 9.9 on performance, 9.4 on salaries and 9.6 on diversity by Zippia.

“It has many types of jobs for workers with expertise in science and technology,” wrote Microsoft Money Talks News in announcing Sandia’s rating on Zippia. “It offers career possibilities in more than a dozen specialties, including nuclear engineering, geoscience and cybersecurity. Those hired on have access to one of the best-paying, most diverse and top-performing companies in Albuquerque,” the online news item said.

Sandia also received a 2019 Gold Award from Family Friendly New Mexico, presented during the nonprofit organization’s annual awards luncheon April 18. The top-level recognition is reserved for employers with family friendly policies in four different categories, including paid leave, health support, work schedules and economic support.

“These back-to-back recognitions underscore Sandia’s commitment to fostering a workplace that’s rewarding, engaging and welcoming to all employees,” said John Myers, senior director of Human Resources and Communications. “Sandia’s national security mission attracts some of the top technical talent, and when employees come to Sandia, they join a vibrant team focused on serving the nation through excellence and innovation.”