在過去的一年中,首席執(zhí)行官們遭遇了眾多員工早已熟知的一個現(xiàn)實:如果自己的雇主不能提供兒童托管服務,那么從事這項工作將會變得異常辛苦。
在新冠疫情期間,諸多企業(yè)的領(lǐng)導者連續(xù)數(shù)月都無法獲得習以為常的兒童托管服務,這一事實讓他們意識到其員工亦面臨同樣的難題,因此必須加以解決。如今,超過200家企業(yè)已經(jīng)加入了由非營利性機構(gòu)Time's Up成立的新組織——關(guān)愛經(jīng)濟企業(yè)理事會(Care Economy Business Council)。
加入這一理事會的企業(yè)既有主流上市公司,例如麥當勞(McDonald’s)、谷歌(Google)、Uber、Spotify,也有專業(yè)提供護理服務的企業(yè),例如 Care.com和初創(chuàng)企業(yè)Helpr。其他成員包括摩根大通(JPMorgan Chase)、李維斯(Levi Strauss)、Patagonia和皮克斯(Pixar)。
摩根大通的多元化和包容性業(yè)務全球負責人布萊恩?蘭姆在代表銀行發(fā)布的一份聲明中說:“去年發(fā)生的事情印證了我們一直熟知的一個事實:如果雇主為雇員提供支持,讓其能夠出色地完成工作,那么雇員便會獲得長足的進步。護理者便是一個典型的例子,他們面臨著一場已經(jīng)醞釀了數(shù)十年的危機,尤其是在職場無法得到完全公平對待的職業(yè)女性,除非企業(yè)對她們的支持方式發(fā)生重大變化。摩根大通對加入關(guān)愛經(jīng)濟企業(yè)理事會感到十分自豪,我們將分享自身的創(chuàng)新方式,并呼吁針對這個問題制定長期的解決方案?!?/p>
麥當勞在介紹其入會決定的一份聲明中稱:“關(guān)愛經(jīng)濟企業(yè)理事會的成立至關(guān)重要,它可以促進公私營領(lǐng)域合作,共同創(chuàng)建項目和政策,繼而為有著不同護理需求的家庭提供支持。我們將雇員的利益放在第一位,而且我們致力于打破員工獲取機遇的障礙,并支持‘關(guān)愛面前,人人平等’。”
面向所有企業(yè)
該組織沒有設置企業(yè)入會門檻;一些會員企業(yè)已經(jīng)在提供廣泛的看護福利,而其他會員依然在雇傭小時工,很少向員工提供任何看護支持。然而在加入這一聯(lián)盟之后,會員企業(yè)便是在表明,自己支持美國看護系統(tǒng)改革或美國看護系統(tǒng)存在服務不足的問題;會員企業(yè)還能夠獲得Time's Up的資源,了解如何提供更好的看護支持。Time's Up希望企業(yè)做出的承諾可以惠及公司自身的員工。
該組織意欲解決的問題已經(jīng)超出了商業(yè)范疇。美國是為數(shù)不多看護基礎實施不夠充分的富有國家之一。國會的立法人員以及拜登政府官員已經(jīng)提出了旨在改變這一現(xiàn)狀的諸多議案,其中給出的解決方案包括為日托提供補貼,以及近期的兒童稅務優(yōu)惠延長。然而,Time's Up的首席執(zhí)行官陳遠美(Tina Tchen)指出,企業(yè)在推動這些變化方面也要發(fā)揮相應的作用。她說:“企業(yè)不能讓公共部門唱獨角戲。”
企業(yè)在這些問題上的關(guān)注點通常體現(xiàn)為帶薪家庭休假,這一點在美國得不到保障,而且企業(yè)在這一方面都有各自的政策。然而,這個特別的舉措從更宏觀的角度著手,并建議設定家庭休假和病假的聯(lián)邦補貼基線;提供價格平易近人的兒童看護和老人看護服務;以及護理工人最低工資標準。該組織正在要求企業(yè)幫助為職場中的看護者提供支持;籌集資金制定解決方案來應對今年的看護危機;倡導公共政策變革;并轉(zhuǎn)變“看護問題應該由誰來負責”的文化觀念。
觀念塑造
陳遠美指出,企業(yè)過去在觀念塑造方面發(fā)揮了一定的作用,他們將政府實施的看護員工支持政策看作是“對企業(yè)的過度控制”。然而,有鑒于疫情和其他文化變化的壓力(眾多男士希望在孩子的童年生活中陪伴其成長,X一代的需求,以及嬰兒潮一代領(lǐng)導者對年邁父母的照看),各大企業(yè)的態(tài)度也發(fā)生了轉(zhuǎn)變。
一些加入該機構(gòu)的公司在過去曾經(jīng)與Time's Up有過沖突,因為后者認為很多問題都歸咎于領(lǐng)導者和企業(yè)本身,例如公平薪酬、性騷擾等。最知名的一個案例是,該機構(gòu)的法律辯護基金曾經(jīng)為一項集體訴訟案提供支持,案件涉及麥當勞餐廳的性騷擾。(麥當勞稱,性騷擾“在麥當勞餐廳沒有容身之地”,而且公司將確保“每一項控訴都會得到充分徹底的調(diào)查?!保?/p>
然而,該機構(gòu)在理事會的細則中提到,某家企業(yè)加入該組織并不意味著Time's Up不會“評論或與任何企業(yè)保持一致立場。”
陳遠美說:“我期待為員工帶來變革。有時候這意味著讓企業(yè)承擔責任,有時候則意味著與他們合作,幫助他們改善這一方面的工作。如果我們只是作為旁觀者大聲疾呼,那么員工得不到什么益處。我們也得參與其中,并幫助雇主改善這一方面的做法?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
在過去的一年中,首席執(zhí)行官們遭遇了眾多員工早已熟知的一個現(xiàn)實:如果自己的雇主不能提供兒童托管服務,那么從事這項工作將會變得異常辛苦。
在新冠疫情期間,諸多企業(yè)的領(lǐng)導者連續(xù)數(shù)月都無法獲得習以為常的兒童托管服務,這一事實讓他們意識到其員工亦面臨同樣的難題,因此必須加以解決。如今,超過200家企業(yè)已經(jīng)加入了由非營利性機構(gòu)Time's Up成立的新組織——關(guān)愛經(jīng)濟企業(yè)理事會(Care Economy Business Council)。
加入這一理事會的企業(yè)既有主流上市公司,例如麥當勞(McDonald’s)、谷歌(Google)、Uber、Spotify,也有專業(yè)提供護理服務的企業(yè),例如 Care.com和初創(chuàng)企業(yè)Helpr。其他成員包括摩根大通(JPMorgan Chase)、李維斯(Levi Strauss)、Patagonia和皮克斯(Pixar)。
摩根大通的多元化和包容性業(yè)務全球負責人布萊恩?蘭姆在代表銀行發(fā)布的一份聲明中說:“去年發(fā)生的事情印證了我們一直熟知的一個事實:如果雇主為雇員提供支持,讓其能夠出色地完成工作,那么雇員便會獲得長足的進步。護理者便是一個典型的例子,他們面臨著一場已經(jīng)醞釀了數(shù)十年的危機,尤其是在職場無法得到完全公平對待的職業(yè)女性,除非企業(yè)對她們的支持方式發(fā)生重大變化。摩根大通對加入關(guān)愛經(jīng)濟企業(yè)理事會感到十分自豪,我們將分享自身的創(chuàng)新方式,并呼吁針對這個問題制定長期的解決方案?!?/p>
麥當勞在介紹其入會決定的一份聲明中稱:“關(guān)愛經(jīng)濟企業(yè)理事會的成立至關(guān)重要,它可以促進公私營領(lǐng)域合作,共同創(chuàng)建項目和政策,繼而為有著不同護理需求的家庭提供支持。我們將雇員的利益放在第一位,而且我們致力于打破員工獲取機遇的障礙,并支持‘關(guān)愛面前,人人平等’。”
面向所有企業(yè)
該組織沒有設置企業(yè)入會門檻;一些會員企業(yè)已經(jīng)在提供廣泛的看護福利,而其他會員依然在雇傭小時工,很少向員工提供任何看護支持。然而在加入這一聯(lián)盟之后,會員企業(yè)便是在表明,自己支持美國看護系統(tǒng)改革或美國看護系統(tǒng)存在服務不足的問題;會員企業(yè)還能夠獲得Time's Up的資源,了解如何提供更好的看護支持。Time's Up希望企業(yè)做出的承諾可以惠及公司自身的員工。
該組織意欲解決的問題已經(jīng)超出了商業(yè)范疇。美國是為數(shù)不多看護基礎實施不夠充分的富有國家之一。國會的立法人員以及拜登政府官員已經(jīng)提出了旨在改變這一現(xiàn)狀的諸多議案,其中給出的解決方案包括為日托提供補貼,以及近期的兒童稅務優(yōu)惠延長。然而,Time's Up的首席執(zhí)行官陳遠美(Tina Tchen)指出,企業(yè)在推動這些變化方面也要發(fā)揮相應的作用。她說:“企業(yè)不能讓公共部門唱獨角戲?!?/p>
企業(yè)在這些問題上的關(guān)注點通常體現(xiàn)為帶薪家庭休假,這一點在美國得不到保障,而且企業(yè)在這一方面都有各自的政策。然而,這個特別的舉措從更宏觀的角度著手,并建議設定家庭休假和病假的聯(lián)邦補貼基線;提供價格平易近人的兒童看護和老人看護服務;以及護理工人最低工資標準。該組織正在要求企業(yè)幫助為職場中的看護者提供支持;籌集資金制定解決方案來應對今年的看護危機;倡導公共政策變革;并轉(zhuǎn)變“看護問題應該由誰來負責”的文化觀念。
觀念塑造
陳遠美指出,企業(yè)過去在觀念塑造方面發(fā)揮了一定的作用,他們將政府實施的看護員工支持政策看作是“對企業(yè)的過度控制”。然而,有鑒于疫情和其他文化變化的壓力(眾多男士希望在孩子的童年生活中陪伴其成長,X一代的需求,以及嬰兒潮一代領(lǐng)導者對年邁父母的照看),各大企業(yè)的態(tài)度也發(fā)生了轉(zhuǎn)變。
一些加入該機構(gòu)的公司在過去曾經(jīng)與Time's Up有過沖突,因為后者認為很多問題都歸咎于領(lǐng)導者和企業(yè)本身,例如公平薪酬、性騷擾等。最知名的一個案例是,該機構(gòu)的法律辯護基金曾經(jīng)為一項集體訴訟案提供支持,案件涉及麥當勞餐廳的性騷擾。(麥當勞稱,性騷擾“在麥當勞餐廳沒有容身之地”,而且公司將確保“每一項控訴都會得到充分徹底的調(diào)查?!保?/p>
然而,該機構(gòu)在理事會的細則中提到,某家企業(yè)加入該組織并不意味著Time's Up不會“評論或與任何企業(yè)保持一致立場。”
陳遠美說:“我期待為員工帶來變革。有時候這意味著讓企業(yè)承擔責任,有時候則意味著與他們合作,幫助他們改善這一方面的工作。如果我們只是作為旁觀者大聲疾呼,那么員工得不到什么益處。我們也得參與其中,并幫助雇主改善這一方面的做法?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
Over the past year, CEOs were confronted with a reality many of their workers have long known: Holding down a job without access to childcare is incredibly difficult.
The months that leaders went without their usual caregiving support during the coronavirus pandemic helped many to realize the imperative to address the problem in their workforces. Now more than 200 businesses have signed on to join the new Care Economy Business Council, a group organized by the nonprofit Time's Up.
Companies that have joined the council range from major public companies—McDonald's, Google, Uber, Spotify—to businesses that work on caregiving full-time, like Care.com and the startup Helpr. Other signers include JPMorgan Chase, Levi Strauss, Patagonia, and Pixar.
"The last year has proven what we have always known: Our employees thrive when they are given the support they need to do their jobs well," Brian Lamb, global head of diversity and inclusion at JPMorgan Chase, said in a statement on behalf of the bank. "Caregivers are a perfect example—they face a crisis that has been brewing for decades, particularly among working women who cannot fully achieve workplace equity without a major shift in how businesses support them. At JPMorgan Chase, we’re proud to join the Care Economy Business Council to share our own innovative approaches and advocate for long-term solutions to this issue.”
"The formation of the Care Economy Business Council is critical to facilitate collaboration across the public and private sectors to create programs and policies that support families wherever they are on their caregiving journey," McDonald's said in a statement about its decision to join the council. "Our people come first, and we’re committed to breaking down barriers for opportunity and support equitable access to care for all."
Open to all
There's no standard a business must meet to join the group; some signers already offer wide-ranging caregiving benefits, while others still employ hourly workers with scant access to any caregiving support. But by joining the coalition, a company is expressing its support for changes to the United States' caregiving system, or lack thereof; companies who join also gain access to resources from Time's Up about building better caregiving support. The hope of Time's Up is that that commitment will extend to a company's own workforce.
The problem this group is aiming to address goes beyond business. The United States is one of few wealthy countries without a significant caregiving infrastructure, and lawmakers in Congress as well as Biden administration officials have put forward proposals to rectify that, calling for solutions from subsidized day care to the recent extended child tax credit. But business has a role to play in pushing for these changes, says Time's Up CEO Tina Tchen. "Businesses don't want the public sector to do it alone," she says.
The focus for business on these issues has often been speaking out about paid family leave, which the United States does not guarantee and businesses largely decide on their own whether to provide. But this particular effort takes a broader approach, advocating for a federally funded baseline of family and medical leave; affordable childcare and elder care; and living wages for care workers. The group is asking companies to help support caregivers at work; to rally investment in solutions to fix this year's caregiving crisis; to advocate for public policy changes; and to shift the cultural narrative about who is responsible for care.
Shaping the narrative
In the past, business has played a role in shaping the narrative, says Tchen, viewing government implementation of policies to support caregiving workers as "overregulation of business." But with the pressures of the pandemic and other cultural changes—the growing role many men seek to take in their young children's lives, the needs of Generation X and baby boomer leaders caring for aging parents—businesses are changing their tune.
Some of the companies who have signed on to the new council have in the past clashed with Time's Up, which seeks to hold leaders and businesses accountable on issues ranging from pay equity to sexual harassment. Most notably, the organization's Legal Defense Fund has backed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's over sexual harassment in its restaurants. (McDonald's has said that sexual harassment has "no place in any McDonald’s restaurant" and that the company will ensure that "every allegation is fully and thoroughly investigated.")
But the organization notes in the council's fine print that a business joining this group does not mean Time's Up will not "comment or otherwise take a position on any company."
"I'm looking to make change for workers," says Tchen. "Sometimes that means holding companies accountable, and sometimes it means working with them to help them do better. It won't benefit workers out there if all we do is stand on the sidelines and shout about it. We also need to get in there and help employers do better."