It’s Not Just About Women (But That’s a Good Place to Start)

I can’t stand when supposed “female-friendly” companies get it so, SO wrong. It’s even worse when these companies are run by women.

Miki Agrawal, the founder of period-underwear company Thinx, recently came under fire after being accused of sexual harassment. (Yup, women can be jerks too.) Nevermind the fact that only two employees had negotiated higher salaries. They were both men.

Then there’s the former Nasty Gal CEO, Sophia Amoruso. Her company was sued for allegedly firing four pregnant women and one man about to go on paternity leave.

These stories make my blood boil.

But then there are stories like this….

I recently met a woman who works for a company that doesn’t allow meetings during “pick up time.” This allows parents to leave the office and collect their kids from school, guilt-free.

So instead of harping on about how unfair the world is, let’s talk about who does things RIGHT. Don’t we all need a little more good news in our lives?

Netflix offers a whopping year off for new parents—moms, dads and adoptive parents alike.

Apple and Facebook famously offer financial incentives for women wanting to freeze their eggs. (Facebook also gives new parents four months of paid leave, day care reimbursement and up to $4,000 in “baby cash” after their child is born.)

Google helps busy parents by running errands (think: booking tickets or picking up groceries).

Accenture lets moms express-ship their breast milk back home while traveling for work.

I know, I know. These companies are massive, fancypants tech giants with deep pockets. Most of us aren’t lucky enough to work for a company with these kinds of resources.

Obviously, this SHOULDN’T be the case. You don’t need a massive budget to support women in the workplace.

For example, why not give moms a room to breastpump so she doesn’t have to worry about being walked in on? Legally, companies have to provide such a room, but it isn’t always as clear cut as that. Just read this post about breastfeeding horror stories at work.

Being female-friendly isn’t just about supporting moms, either.

How many women are on the board? In management?

If the office is located in a bad area, does the company provide self-defense training? Free Uber rides to the train stop? Rape whistles?

I’ve seen some companies offer…

  • Mentorship groups for women in leadership
  • Flex-time and telecommuting (that senior management actually uses so employees feel comfortable taking advantage of it)
  • Phase-to-work programs to help new parents gradually go back to work full time

These types of policies aren’t just great for women. They promote equality for everyone, while demonstrating a healthy work-life balance, which is good for everyone.

Does your company offer great benefits for women and families? Let me know in the comment below!

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