Recent Articles
Retaining Employees After Parental Leave: Creating A Customized Plan to Increase Retention and Engagement
Learn how to retain your employees after parental leave by providing meaningful work and supportive policies. Discover the key factors that contribute to employee retention and the benefits of investing in your employees.
Mama, You're Not Alone: How to ask for Help
As a new mom, it's important to remember that you don't have to do everything alone. Asking for help is not a weakness but a sign of strength and self-awareness. It's common for new moms to feel like they should be able to handle everything on their own, but the truth is that it's okay to ask for help.
Bouncing Back from Layoffs
I have been laid off during every single recession. That’s three times total in my life so far. I guess that makes me a layoff expert. Let me share with you how I have gotten through these experiences. I hope it helps!
Why We Need Our Tribe
From the dawn of time, women needed each other to share the heavy burdens that fell upon them. They helped each other through the pains of childbirth. They joined forces in feeding and nurturing their families. They were "the village" we speak of when we say it takes a village to raise a child because they all looked after each other's children in their village. They shared their fears, dreams, hopes, sadness, and pain, but most of all, they shared their strength.
To Be or Not to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
Sometimes, the stay-at-home option works better for moms and their families as it reduces the stressors influencing their daily life. Multitasking can take its toll on the mother's mental health. By letting go of job-related stress, moms can shift their focus to their families. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of being a working vs. non-working mom.
Emotional Agility
Emotional agility isn’t about ignoring difficult emotions and thoughts. It’s about holding those emotions and thoughts loosely, facing them courageously and compassionately, and then moving past them to make big things happen in your life. Read on to find out more about how having emotional agility can set you up for success in your life and career.
Feeling Insecure at Work
Insecurity is a widely common feeling, and most of us experience it at some point. It is especially present at the workplace, where our abilities are constantly tested, and we have to defend or justify our work. When we feel insecure, we tend to shy away from uncomfortable situations, avoid confrontation, or stop ourselves from speaking our minds. Insecurity can even lead to us questioning our own skills and ability, which can ultimately decrease job performance. Contrary to what some may think, we are not born insecure. We should therefore acknowledge where this feeling comes from so we can deal with it.
Imposter Syndrome
Have you ever felt as if you didn’t belong or that you didn’t deserve your job title and accomplishments? Perhaps you secretly worry that your friends and colleagues may discover that you’re a fraud and that all your success was due to luck or other external factors. If so, you may be struggling with imposter syndrome, a phenomenon that affects up to 70% of people at some point in their careers.
Parenting During A Pandemic
There are many ways to sum up the pandemonium that was the year 2020, but top of the list is “change”. It changed the way we think about the world, the way we feel about others, the way we work, and most importantly the way we parent. For those of us who usually wake up, put on our business hats (suits), and drive a few miles to our office, one of the biggest upsets was the transference to teleworking. It effectively fused those two different facets, our work life, and our home and parenting life, into one very messy and muddled blend of benefits and challenges alike.
Job-Person Fit – Why it’s Important to Experience Positive Emotions at Work
Research shows that negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and stress take a toll on our bodies and minds; and that positive emotions are linked to better outcomes at home and at work. As a result, corporate wellness programs are becoming more focused on enhancing positivity in the workplace to improve employee well-being and productivity.
Sharing the Parental Load
We are still in the grips of the historically imposed rules where women (no matter their career status) are in charge of the domestic duties, while men are free to prioritize their jobs. Furthermore, all the "behind the scenes" work, crucial in raising a child, is barely recognized and appreciated by the general public or those on the receiving end. Read on to find out more about how parents can share the parental load.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
There are many different ways in which sexual harassment plays itself out in the workplace. Some forms are more subtle and hard to pinpoint, and others are more aggressive, such as downright physical sexual assault. In short, sexual harassment is any form of unwelcome sexual remark or action.
Maternity Leave Rights According to the FMLA
According to law, you cannot be fired for being pregnant. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) strictly regulate U.S. employers, preventing them from laying off employees because of pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions. Read on to find out more about your rights during maternity leave.
Queen Bee Syndrome
Although the Queen Bee phenomenon is still a common workplace occurrence, as time goes on, women understand the importance of having other women at their side. While it seems that more conclusive research needs to be conducted on the subject, this article has outlined practical strategies for coping with this phenomenon in the workplace.
Bullying in the Workplace
The Workplace Bullying Institute estimates that approximately 54 million American workers are victimized by bully behavior at some point in their careers. Dr. Judy Blando of the University of Phoenix found that up to 75% of workers are impacted directly or indirectly by bullying in the workplace. Dr. Hornstein, a social psychology professor at Columbia University Teachers College, noted that as many as 20 million Americans face daily workplace abuse.
How Women Hold Themselves Back
It is clear that unconscious gender bias is still pervasive in corporate America and that a great deal of work needs to be done to advance women's career development. Women still experience sexism and sexual harassment in the workplace, and many organizations do not offer maternity leave or childcare flexibility. In addition to these external hindrances to career development, women are impeded by their own internal barriers to success. This article intends to address how women hold themselves back from advancing in their careers and provides tangible strategies for overcoming them.
Let’s Talk About Maternity Leave in California
Let’s Talk About Maternity Leave in California.
Employers are not required to pay employees their wages during maternity leave, but many do. In some cases, you may still be eligible for some form of paid leave as most California employees have a right to California’s state disability insurance during their leave. Yes, as weird as it may seem, pregnancy and childbirth are considered disabilities.
Unconscious Gender Bias
Although women in the United States are better off than they’ve ever been, they are still considerably underrepresented in the corporate and political arenas. An examination of the corporate ladder shows the number of women diminishes with increasing hierarchy. To put this in perspective: out of 195 countries, only 17 are led by women, and only 22% of women hold parliamentary seats globally. Furthermore, although more women graduate with college degrees, only 23% of S&P 500 companies have female CEOs.
Stay in Touch With the Office While on Maternity Leave
Don't let yourself be side-lined when you return from maternity leave, but also don't let staying in the loop stress you out while you should be bonding with your infant. Take time to clarify your own career goals, considering how motherhood may affect you. Once you have decided on the path ahead, start putting things in place to make the return to work after maternity leave easier.
How to be Assertive Without Being Seen as Aggressive
Our assertiveness and strength can unfairly be construed as aggression. This is in part due to the fact that according to stereotypes, women are expected to be acquiescent, ask for permission, and be polite; and so they feel they have to fight for recognition and respect. Furthermore, strong leadership requires firm decision-making, being directive, and holding others accountable. Our ideas what it means to be ‘female’ do not fit our ideas of what it means to be ‘leader’. This disconnect often manifests as an unconscious preference for male leaders, putting women in a very difficult position.