Goldman Sachs named a 2008 Working Mother 100 Best Company by Working Mother Magazine

New York, NY - September 23, 2008 -- Working Mother magazine today named the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (“GS”) one of the 2008 Working Mother 100 Best Companies. Goldman Sachs’ expansive family-friendly policies and programs are tremendous assets in helping the firm’s employees balance work demands with family needs. The response to these programs underscores their importance and year after year, they continue to be among the most appreciated, utilized and highly praised benefits the firm offers.

“The economy is not going to alter the commitment of Goldman Sachs to working mothers, because they've made family-friendly policies a part of their corporate DNA,” said Carol Evans, CEO, Working Mother Media. “Supporting families is a vital part of their culture and not just an added benefit.”

Added Suzanne Riss, Editor in Chief, Working Mother magazine, “In a world where we are all trying to balance work/life demands, Goldman Sachs has created a highly motivated workplace by making benefits like flextime, backup childcare and parental leave available to their employees. The firm understands these benefits are necessary for productivity and commitment to the business.”

Goldman Sachs’ family-friendly benefit extends beyond working mothers, but to adoptive parents as well as fathers. The firm has a very comprehensive programming in place to address a diversity of needs to their employees. These benefits include: time off for infertility treatments, on-site adoption consultants, adoption subsidies, expectant parent seminars, maternity mentoring, 16-weeks paid maternity leave, lactation support, manager maternity training and extensive back-up child care options.
“Investing in people and finding innovative ways to support them is critical to Goldman Sachs’ success,” said Edith Cooper, Managing Director and global head of Human Capital Management for Goldman Sachs. “The dedication with which our people approach their work is unparalleled. Our employees give a lot of themselves to the firm, and it is important we stay in tuned with their needs professionally and personally by continuing to provide meaningful benefits and support at all phases of their professional and personal lives.”

Methodology:
Goldman Sachs was selected for the 2008 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application with more than 500 questions. The application included detailed questions about workforce, compensation, child care, 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 family-friendly policies, flexibility, leave policies and benefits for part-timers.

A complete list of the 2008 Working Mother 100 Best Companies can be found at www.workingmother.com.


About Working Mother Media
Founded in 1979, Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. Its 22-year signature initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work/life practices in corporate America. Working Mother is published by Working Mother Media, which was founded in 2001. Working Mother Media includes the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), Diversity Best Practices, the WorkLife Congress, the Multicultural Women's Conference and Town Halls. Working Mother Media's mission is to champion culture change. For more information, please visit www.workingmother.com.

About Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.(“GS”) is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of services worldwide to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net worth individuals. Founded in 1869, it is one of the oldest and largest investment banking firms. The firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the world.

Contact:
Jackie Cook
The Rosen Group
212.255.8455
jackie@rosengroupp.com

Gia Morón
Goldman Sachs
212.902.4307
gia.moron@gs.com