Working Mother magazine announced today that Abbott was once again one of the "Top 10" companies on the prestigious Working Mother 100 Best list honoring companies for providing a family-friendly workplace. This is the fifth time that Abbott has been named one of the "Top 10" companies, and the ninth consecutive year that Abbott has been on to the broader 100 Best list. Additional information is in the October issue of Working Mother magazine, available today on newsstands and at www.workingmother.com.

"We are pleased to be recognized again by Working Mother magazine for creating a workplace that inspires and empowers working parents to succeed in their careers and at home," said Stephen Fussell, senior vice president, Human Resources, Abbott. "Abbott continues to invest in training and development, extensive benefits, workplace flexibility and health and wellness programs, which allow our colleagues to build extraordinary careers. We strive to put people and potential together better than other organizations."

Working Mother recognized companies' continued efforts to offer creative programs that help employees in all areas of their lives, especially in the current economy. Abbott was highlighted by Working Mother for its "best in class" learning and development programs.

Abbott's development programs focus on ensuring that employees at all levels have the skills, resources and mentoring they need to develop life-long, successful careers. Key examples include Professional Development Programs that provide entry-level employees with extensive support and a variety of challenging assignments to develop well-rounded skills before they settle into a long-term career choice; informal and formal mentoring programs, including online mentoring that matches participants according to interests and areas of expertise; and employee networks such as Women Leaders in Action that provide leadership opportunities and support diversity.

Abbott Recognized as a Premier Employer Around the World
In addition to being included in Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" list for nine consecutive years, Abbott was recently named one of BusinessWeek magazine's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" for the fourth straight year. The company has been included in BusinessWeek's list of the "50 Top Internships" for the past two years, and was profiled in the 2008 edition of The Princeton Review's "Best Entry-Level Jobs."

Abbott is recognized globally as a top employer, and has been honored among the best places to work in many countries around the world, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovak Republic, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. Abbott also has been named to DiversityInc magazine's list of the top companies for diversity for six years, and has been recognized by The Scientist magazine as a top employer for scientists. Additionally, FORTUNE has named Abbott as one of "America's Most Admired Companies" every year since the list's inception in 1983.

About Working Mother and the 100 Best Companies List
Abbott was selected for the 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application with more than 500 questions on workforce, compensation, child care, flexibility programs, leave policies and more. It also surveys 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, benefits, women's issues and advancement, child care, flexible work, parental leave and company culture. For this year's 100 Best, particular weight was given to benefits, flexibility and parental leave.

Celebrating 30 years, Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers while workingmother.com brings to the Web a broad range of insight and solutions served to working mothers every day. Working Mother's 24-year signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, is the most important benchmark for work-life practices in corporate America. With offices in New York and Washington, D.C., Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp., includes the National Association for Female Executives, Diversity Best Practices, the WorkLife Congress and the Multicultural Women’s Conference and Town Halls. Working Mother Media's mission is to champion cultural change.

About Abbott
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 72,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at www.abbott.com.

Abbott

Abbott

About Abbott and the Abbott Fund

The Abbott Fund is a philanthropic foundation established by Abbott in 1951. The Abbott Fund's mission is to create healthier global communities by investing in creative ideas that promote science, expand access to health care and strengthen communities worldwide. For more information, visit www.abbottfund.org.

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's website at www.abbott.com.

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