5 Things / Benefits Edition
This week I made some new friends, including a man who went undercover with Al Qaeda and wrote a book to tell the story. He’s a great guy, and like my other new friends, is very different from me. But one thing we all have in common is that we’re speakers. During the pandemic, I enrolled in Heroic Public Speaking (HPS) to level up my speaking game, and one of the unexpected benefits was meeting a bunch of new people with completely different lived experiences, stories, and perspectives than me. I loved it.
This week some of us connected at HPS for a Homecoming event, and again, I found myself in the most fascinating conversations. I had dinner Thursday night with my undercover friend, a former Navy SEAL, and a Canadian woman my age who’s sold her first company and is building another. One thing all of us had in common was a genuine curiosity about one another, a willingness to ask deep questions, respect those answers, and connect with what was said. We were all unconsciously following the ARC, which many of you know (Ask - Respect - Connect).
Meaningful connection happens when we’re willing to simply be more curious about those who are different than us. Now that many of us are meeting again in person, I hope you find yourself in honest and real conversations with people who are different from you. And in those conversations, I hope you’re willing to talk about burnout, lack of balance, pandemic challenges, and all the other real-life stuff – the things we have in common yet struggle to share. The magic happens when we share some of our own stuff first.
Here are the good vibes I found this week:
A Software Company Is Offering Its Staff Discounts on a Breast Milk Delivery Service as It Seeks to Help Its New Moms
It’s been a while since I wrote about MilkStork, the company that ships breast milk for nursing parents who are traveling. The company provides its services as an employee benefit, and employers typically cover all costs of using the service. MilkStork’s newest client is ActiveCampaign, and this benefit matters because it helps nursing parents transition back to work with less disruption and more ease.
Announcing New Gender Inclusive Benefits for Salesforce Employees
Speaking of benefits, Salesforce expanded its benefits for transgender employees, to now include new wardrobe reimbursement, partial payment for the fees associated with changing government IDs, and specialized mental-health services and counseling. These expanded benefits came about after conversations with the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group at the company. The most inclusive companies already include full coverage of the costs associated with medical transition, but these expanded benefits are notable. This matters because it acknowledges and solves some barriers to authentic living.
Karine Jean-Pierre Will Become the 1st Black White House Press Secretary
The White House has a new Press Secretary,Karine Jean-Pierre, and she’s the first Black and openly LGBTQ person to hold this position. While I don’t always celebrate firsts, this one is particularly notable and matters because it’s wonderful to see someone with multiple marginalized identities in such a visible role.
How One Organization Is Funding Equity in the Chicago Area
U.S. Bank is investing heavily in Chicago’s Black communities, in partnership with nonprofit Greenwood Archer Capital, focused on community development. While this is wonderful, this matters because the new partnership is focused on supporting businesses owned by people with lower credit scores, and without high collateral and a robust financial history. That’s equity in action - removing barriers that can create greater wealth.
The End of Roe v. Wade Is a Workforce Issue. Businesses Can’t Avoid Talking About Abortion Anymore
In light of the likely overturn of Roe vs Wade in the United States, an increasing number of companies are showing their support for abortion rights. A number of companies, such as Levi, announced travel reimbursements for employees who would need to travel to another state for an abortion, and notably, these benefits extend to part-time employees. Given that 47% of Americans recently said they wouldn’t want to live in a state where abortion was unavailable, Salesforce will also cover moving expenses for employees. This is an issue that employees are paying attention to, and companies can’t afford to be silent on. This matters because it sends a message to employees that their full services can be cared for.