Nationwide recognized for supporting working moms and dads

Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media) revealed its annual list of the 2021 100 Best Companies, representing almost four million employees in the United States. This year’s winners are focusing on inclusive benefits for families, including paid gender-neutral parental leave, backup childcare, and how these organizations supported their employees throughout COVID-19. Nationwide was among the 100 companies that earned a spot on this year’s list.

A national survey of U.S. employers included more than 400 questions related to leave policies, benefits, childcare, flexibility, employee-resource groups for men, women and working parents, and more. It surveys the availability and usage of these programs, as well as the accountability of the many managers who oversee them. This year, the survey included specific questions about how organizations helped parents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These honors reinforce our commitment to a culture that recognizes people have many responsibilities—and helping parents succeed helps Nationwide succeed,” said Angela Bretz, Nationwide’s senior vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

As part of this honor, Nationwiders nominated a Dad and Mom of the Year to be featured on Seramount’s website – Domingo Riojas and Erika Lippincott.

Domingo Riojas

Riojas, a personal lines analyst at Nationwide, lost his wife, Melissa, to COVID-19 in late 2020 and became everything to their two-year-old daughter, Eliana Grace. Since Melissa’s passing, he’s learned to prioritize what gets the best of his energy every day.

“Find people you can learn from and grow with,” he says. “If you have that, you’re already winning.

Erika Lippincott

Lippincott, a commercial lines director at Nationwide, met her husband, Cody, in kindergarten and feels lucky to have married her best friend. When she and their daughters, Kate and Kenna, lost Cody to a sudden cascade of medical anomalies, their world turned upside down.

Erika’s job involved a lot of travel, so Nationwide helped her move into a role that provided greater flexibility for her to be home with her girls.

“I knew I worked for a company I loved,” Erika says. “What I didn’t know was that I also work for a company that loves me back.”

As part of being named Nationwide’s Dad and Mom of the Year, Riojas and Lippincott will be recognized at Seramount’s virtual WorkBeyond Summit next month.

For more information on careers at Nationwide, visit the Nationwide Careers page.