MI5: A welcoming and inclusive workplace for women

Almost half a million women have left the U.S. workforce since January, triggering widespread reports of another "she-cession." Is this a problem? I think so. And like with many of our problems, I think workers' rights are a big part of the solution. This data isn't surprising. Working professionals are extremely burned out. 🔺 The cost of living is so high, and we have so few essentials offered to us for free, that we are working long hours just to meet basic needs like housing, healthcare, childcare, and education. 🔺 U.S. work culture is demanding. We don't have the same respect for life outside of work that other cultures have. 🔺 We don't have enough community and connection. Many of us feel like we are doing life alone, or just with a partner. We don't have the help we need to raise our kids, care for aging parents, and weather our own sickness. We lack the deep connections that we need in order to feel fulfilled and happy. 🔺 While millennial men are doing more at home, women still take on a disproportionate amount of domestic tasks and typically are responsible for running the household. So it should surprise no one that women simply can't keep going like this and see leaving the workforce as their only out. I think this is a problem because I think our organizations and government need more women. It's time for more connection, collaboration, and empathy at work and in leadership positions, and sadly, these qualities tend to be more associated with female leadership. For women who feel more fulfilled staying at home, that is great and important work. But those who enjoy their work outside the home should not have to choose between work and family/community. So how do we keep women at work? Two words: more support. We need to start talking about workplace protections and norms. Here are a few examples: ✅ Six-month paid parental leave at a MINIMUM, at the federal level. ✅ Closing the gender pay gap, which is apparently widening. ✅ Stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, so that women don't get demoted and pushed out when they're pregnant or after they have kids, and so they feel more supported and included at work. ✅ Workplace culture that encourages men to take parental leave and time off to care for their kids, so they can be more involved at home. ✅ Expecting companies to adequately staff their teams, pay well, and allocate work fairly so that people aren't overworked and underpaid. What would you like to see to help support women at work?

The Real Conversation We Need to Have About Women in the Workplace The New York Times piece titled, “Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?” has ruffled some feather to say the least, but I must say it really got me thinking about what equality actually means in practice — not in theory, but in the messy reality of building careers and families simultaneously. Here's what I keep coming back to: We need to be honest about trade-offs and sacrifices. The current system isn't working — for anyone. Women face real barriers: only 1% of venture capital goes to women-led businesses. Teams with women founders are less likely to receive funding. That's a problem worth solving. But here's the harder truth: many workplaces were built around a model that assumes no one has significant caregiving responsibilities. What I think we need to discuss openly: 1. Different choices, different paths  Some women want high-intensity careers. Some want flexibility for family. Some want both at different life stages. All of this legitimate, but we can't pretend there are no trade offs. A doctor who pauses their career for 5 years will re-enter into a completely different field. This is the reality. I think we should be asking ourselves how do we acknowledge this and bridge the gap rather than pretending it doesn’t exist. 2. Support that actually helps •Comprehensive healthcare education •Realistic re-entry programs that retrain, not just rehire •Childcare infrastructure that doesn't cost more than rent •Part-time partnership tracks in law/consulting/medicine 3. I believe in hiring the best person for the job. Period. But I also know the "best" often gets defined by who can work 80-hour weeks with zero personal obligations. 4. What about men?  We tell men they should take more responsibility in regard to caregiving, taking paternity leave, being present fathers. Then we structure workplaces that punish anyone who does. In this sense, maybe this isn't just about women. Maybe it's about building systems that acknowledge humans are just that — humans. Here's where I see no compromise: •Basic professional respect  •Equal pay for equal work •Protection from harassment •Access to the same networks and opportunities But I'm open to the harder questions: What if some gender gaps reflect different priorities rather than discrimination? What if the best solution isn't making every workplace identical, but allowing different workplace cultures to exist? And my final question is: How do we build systems that allow everyone to contribute their strengths without being punished for their constraints? #WomenInBusiness #Leadership #WorkplaceEquality #ProfessionalDevelopment

Happy, inclusive workplaces are not only better for staff, but more profitable too. But where do senior executives turn to become better informed about their legal obligations, so they can put in place the systems that create business success and avoids reputational damage? Workplace culture specialists, Intersection. The organisation takes its name from Intersectionality; how different aspects of a person’s identity — such as age, gender, sexuality or education — can lead to overlapping forms of discrimination. We built a confident and distinctive visual identity that drew from their name, established their unmatched expertise and cut through industry norms. We’re currently working for a First Nation’s-led organisation on ad campaigns against child incarceration and murdered and disappeared women. If you’re a charity or change-maker with a story to tell, please get in touch.

Return to office mandates disproportionally and negatively impact women, especially women with young children. “212,000 women age 20 and older have left the workforce since January—compared with 44,000 men who joined it.” #inclusion #diversity #leadership

“Labor force participation of mothers with young children dropped from 69.7% to 66.9% between January and June 2025.” And unfortunately this is a trend that is likely to continue as more and more companies implement RTO mandates.

Inclusion isn't optional. Shocking I know. We make up 25% of the population. We’re the largest minority in the world, and yet, every time a company “forgets” to plan for us, it’s not an oversight. It’s a decision. It’s saying: we don’t care to include a quarter of humanity. And if you live long enough, disability will find you. I joke sometimes that it’s like a mafia threat. “it’s coming for you.” But it’s true. We are all just temporarily pre-disabled. So when organizations treat inclusion like an experiment instead of a responsibility, what they’re really doing is gambling against their own future selves and interests. That’s what makes the latest headlines so maddening. Shaun Heasley, writing for Disability Scoop cites a report from SHRM noting workforce participation for people with disabilities is up 30% since the pandemic. Wendi Safstrom, president of the SHRM Foundation, calling it “a testament to what’s possible when organizations commit to inclusion and flexibility.” She’s right. Remote work gave us the ability to get things done without burning half our energy fighting the world just to show up. And somehow, in the same breath, SHRM handed the microphone to Robby Starbuck, a man who calls DEI “poison” and takes credit for dismantling inclusion programs at major corporations including Ford Motor Company, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, and Walmart. [H/t caroline colvin per HR Dive.] Platforming that isn’t “viewpoint diversity.” Inclusion is not a debate topic any more than hiring women or people of color is a debate topic. Every time an organization gives oxygen to anti-DEI voices, it tells us that our humanity is optional. And shame on any HR association that claims leadership while legitimizing that message. Meanwhile, POLITICO reports that a federal judge had to order the White House to restore sign-language interpreters at press briefings, writing that “closed captioning and transcripts are insufficient alternatives.” Because inclusion is optional, right? Here’s the truth: every accommodation I’ve ever received has saved my career. I’ve spent my whole life negotiating with a body that doesn’t always cooperate. You think I can’t negotiate a work deadline? Please. I’ve been running logistics with chronic pain as a project manager my entire life. To every HR leader who still calls inclusion a “buzzword,” you’re outing yourself as short-sighted. Inclusion isn’t charity. It’s how you tell your people they matter. It’s how you make the space you occupy, and ultimately leave on this planet better than you found it. If your company’s culture falls apart the instant nobody's looking, or your accessibility policies look good on paper but collapse in practice, if your leaders talk about inclusion but can’t describe it without pausing to find the right words, we see you. You aren’t fooling us. Do the right thing. Being a good human has only upsides. #DisabilityEmployment #WorkplaceCulture #DEI #Access #HumanResources

“Did women ruin the workplace?” Only for the ones who thought it was theirs to begin with. Because if fair pay, equal opportunity, and basic respect are what broke it, then maybe the workplace was already cracked. Women didn’t ruin the workplace. They exposed it. And they stopped apologizing for existing in it. And the people calling that “ruin” are just mad the old rules don’t work anymore. https://lnkd.in/g7aYgEga

Powerful Conversations on Gender Equality & Caregiving in the Workplace 🌟  Last Thursday night, the MBS Women in Management Club (WIM) hosted an inspiring and thought-provoking event ‘Strategic Leadership for Current and Future Caregivers' exploring how individuals can build resilient careers while supporting families and aging loved ones.   We were privileged to hear from  Prue Gilbert, CEO of Grace Papers, and Melissa Reader, CEO of Violet, in a conversation hosted by  Ben Rushbrook  and Victoria Lean  from our committee. 💡 Key Takeaways: 🏢 Care Literacy in the Workplace  Melissa shared her deeply personal journey and highlighted the need for emotional intelligence and support systems for caregivers navigating life’s transitions. 🫶 Empathy Meets Scalability  Melissa explored how scalable workplace processes can still be deeply empathetic, helping organisations support caregivers meaningfully. 👶 Cultural Blind Spots & the Motherhood Penalty  Prue unpacked the systemic challenges women face post-parental leave and called for targeted interventions to drive real change. 💬 Flexibility with Accountability  Inclusive flexibility policies were spotlighted as essential for enabling employees to care for themselves, others, and their careers with clear communication between managers and teams. ❤️ Leadership with Heart  Both speakers emphasised the importance of compassionate leadership that sees and supports the whole person, especially during caregiving challenges.    📚Resources  Remember, if you need support - you're not alone. There are resources available for carers, parents and leaders navigating the complexities of caregiving and work. You can check out the invaluable work Melissa and Prue do and the support their businesses provide below. We will drop links in the comments 👇 🔹 The Care Compass Tool – a powerful resource to help families initiative gentle, early conversations about caregiving preferences and plans 🔹 Violet - An online care platform that supports people to talk about, plan for and manage the last stage of life. 🔹 Grace Papers - Grace Papers coaching and consulting solutions focus on preventing discrimination and harassment to unlock the power of equality and grace in every workplace.   👏 Thank you again to our wonderful guest speakers for their insights and generosity. A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this incredible evening of learning, connection, and action. Let’s keep building workplaces where care, flexibility, and equity are not just ideals, but everyday realities.  #WomenInManagement #CareLiteracy #InclusiveLeadership #GenderEquality #FlexibilityAtWork #EmpatheticLeadership #GracePapers #Violet #NABLeadership #CaregivingInTheWorkplace Fiona Sherwin Majoy Clemente Jilli McEwan Jennifer Do Mona Jhoty Gemma Melville Jessica Maung

Return-to-office mandates risk undoing hard-won progress toward gender equality. Flexible and hybrid work empowered women to excel in demanding roles and narrow the pay gap. Preserving that flexibility is essential to keep workplaces diverse, equitable, and inclusive. https://ow.ly/R6Wr50XiX6k

Return-to-office mandates risk undoing hard-won progress toward gender equality. Flexible and hybrid work empowered women to excel in demanding roles and narrow the pay gap. Preserving that flexibility is essential to keep workplaces diverse, equitable, and inclusive. https://ow.ly/xLXx50XiX6j