Workflow
‘Uber and Lyft must classify drivers as employees, judge rules, in blow to gig economy’
Classifying workers as independent contractors rather than employees is a way companies can avoid providing unemployment benefits and workers’ compensation. On August 10, a judge in California moved to block Uber and Lyft from classifying their drivers as independent contractors. They’ll appeal, but the decision still matters. As one interviewee says here: “This is the closest in eight years the judiciary has come to enforcing labor rights in the gig economy.” The Guardian
‘Company’s paid leave for periods takes on a workplace taboo’
Shame and stigma have long been coupled with women’s periods in India, so much so that “71 percent of young women remain unaware of menstruation until their first cycle.” Knowing that, check out Zomato, the country’s largest food-delivery firm, which recently announced employees will have 10 days of period leave a year. That includes transgender employees. And Zomato has a sexual harassment team on hand to respond to instances of employees facing harassment for taking time off. NY Times
‘The true cost of being a Black teacher’
This week many of InHerSight’s kids (our team’s kids, we haven’t adopted anyone yet) are headed back to school. By that, we mean learning from home. And in honor of that strange milestone, we’d like to focus on the career at the center of it all: teaching. More specifically, what it’s like to be a Black teacher in a profession dominated by white women, where people are paid as if their salary is a secondary income, not a livable wage, and it’s easy to go into debt just trying to educate the next generation. Erin Crosby-Eckstine uses her own experiences here to illustrate opportunity gaps and to voice a final call to action. NY Mag
Women to know
‘The key to an inclusive recovery? Putting women in decision-making roles’
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is the executive director of U.N. Women, and her frankness about the continued need for advocacy of equal rights for women through the pandemic is refreshing. There are some major bummers in here, like the fact that pandemics and other crises affect women more acutely, but isn’t it nice to know women like Mlambo-Ngcuka are speaking up for women across the globe every day? NY Times
It’s the patriarchy—again
‘Why men are so bothered by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’’
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s new song “WAP,” released a little more than a week ago, is explicit for sure, but is it so explicit that it’s dialing back decades of women’s progress? Some people think so. Some [waves arms in the air] do not. This quippy take on the “WAP’ controversy” looks at how patriarchy shapes our reaction to women singing about sex, and includes relatable gems like this: “I’m gonna guess there are other factors at play here to explain why rapping about lady parts is so d**n offensive. I’m sensing maybe a loss of control? A bruised ego? A fear that if a woman is sexually empowered, maybe she’ll have high expectations and you might not measure up?” ZORA
Plus: Take our survey!
Are you a working mom with kids at home during COVID-19? We want to learn more about your experiences to see what employers can do to keep moms in the workforce. (We know, you have a lot on your plate.) Take three minutes to answer our survey now! Keep Moms Working
