Option One is Family Friendly

City of Irvine honors with award
By MortgageDaily.com staff
4/14/2005

Option One Mortgage Corp. was commended by a Southern California city for its family friendly workplace.

The City of Irvine honored the subprime lender with the "Family Friendly Business Award," which recognizes companies that integrate policies and programs in their business practices that provide employee assistance and family related opportunities.

"We are honored that our values and culture are being recognized in this way," company President and CEO Bob Dubrish said in the announcement. "To us, being family friendly is simply the right thing to do. We believe if our associates are happy and engaged, our customers will be happy and engaged, too."

Option One reportedly employs more than 1,500 associates, which include account executives, on its main campus or in the surrounding area. The H&R Block subsidiary recently reported quarterly volume of $8.2 billion, consisting mostly of wholesale originations, improved due to a rise in account executive staff.

Among the Irvine-headquartered company's family friendly policies commended by the city were flexible work schedules; wellness resources, including an onsite fitness center, a weight loss program and health fairs; community involvement opportunities, such as employee volunteer and matching gifts programs; and financial assistance such as college scholarships, tuition reimbursement, and adoption expense assistance, according to the announcement.

The subprime lender said last year OC Metro magazine, which covers news and lifestyle in Orange County, named it one of seven best companies to work, and the Irvine Chamber of Commerce honored it as the 2003 Business of the Year.

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