5 Things / including the front line
When I sit down to write every week, I look for at least one story that makes me think, "wow, that's really cool -- and that's the reaction I hope you have when you read 5 Things! The story that stuck out to me this week is that John Lewis, a British department store chain, is now offering 6 months paid parental leave for all of its 80,000 employees.
What do you think is going to be the first U.S. retailer to follow suit?
John Lewis's policy is amazing for lots of reasons: the length of leave, the fact that it's for all new parents, and fact that it benefits 80,000 employees. Plenty of companies don't even offer substantive leave for dads! The company's other new policies are pretty awesome as well.
This matters because front line employees like retail employees are often left out of DEI initiatives and often don't have full access to benefits. Hopefully they will no longer be taken for granted.
Here are some good vibes I found this week:
Mattel is one of my favorite companies to follow, and they've made great progress on their DEI commitments. They recently announced that they achieved pay equity for all employees around the globe doing similar work. This matters because historical pay inequities have made it more difficult for women and BIPOC to prosper.
Uncle Nearest Premium Whisky created a $50 million fund to invest in rapidly growing, minority-founded and -owned spirits brands. The Black-founded company is the U.S.' fastest growing spirits company, and now it's paying it forward to others. This matters because the fund expands the access and opportunities for women and BIPOC folks and will generate more wealth for them.
Alberton's Grocery is expanding its supplier diversity program to specifically ensure that suppliers from underrepresented groups having enough working capital and get paid more quickly. This matters because, as anyone who's watched Shark Tank knows, having enough capital to fulfill purchase orders (especially when large companies may require a net 60) can be a huge barrier for small businesses. This program will help alleviate that constraint and allow more businesses with minority founders access to Alberton's shelves.
The U.S. state of Nevada is the sixth state to require LGBTQ inclusive education in public schools. When I was a kid, there was no such content, nothing to acknowledge the LGBTQ civil rights movement and lack of protections, and certainly no references to LGBTQ achievements. This matters because LGBTQ young people, especially those in conservative areas, may have difficulty finding support and possibility models. Inclusive school curriculums legitimize us in a way.
Image by Humphrey Muleba