Raising a family while working can be a challenge for most parents, but it seems many businesses are lending a helping hand. According to a survey of executives, more than three in five companies (62 percent) have made policy changes to better accommodate working parents in the past five years.

OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service, developed the national survey. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 150 randomly selected senior executives at the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

"Programs that support work-life balance are attractive to professionals, especially members of the 'sandwich generation' -- those caring for both children and elderly parents," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "For smaller firms that may not have as much flexibility in adjusting salaries as larger organizations, offering these types of benefits can level the playing field."

Domeyer noted that working parents aren't the only ones who benefit from perks such as telecommuting, flextime, extended family leave and elder care. "Many employees are juggling multiple priorities and appreciate these types of programs. Companies should actively promote these offerings to all prospective hires, both in job postings and during the employment interview."