This is the year that we’re turning the lens on unethical workplace behavior, tearing down subtle double standards across gender, age and race. There’s #MeToo and Time’s Up. In October, NYC passed a law that makes it illegal to ask for salary history with the goal of correcting pay inequality. Further back, there was widely-read Agency Spy article about ageism in our industry. All of these taking aim at outdated modicums (such as the “casting couch”) that only years earlier barely raised eyebrows let alone lawsuits. I had to laugh as Diane von Furstenberg recounted in an interview with Katie Couric: “When I grew up if you were a woman you were sure of two things: You would get your periods every month and you constantly would get groped.” (Jump to 48:30) It’s the equivalent of the Berlin Wall coming down — smashing long-standing institutions that no longer serve us.
But in my opinion, we still have a long way to go. I’m troubled by what I’m seeing (and not seeing) in our industry in terms of accommodations for working parents and ageism. There’s a talent shortage and yet we’re favoriting younger candidates that can work until midnight. NYC ad agencies are starting to move on flexible work hours, work from home and longer parental leaves but there’s still so much to be done.
Here are some Nadexa Group posts covering these topics:
- The Casting Call at NYC Agencies: Younger is Better?
- Five Suggestions for Babyproofing Your Job Interview
Returning to Work After a Long Hiatus - Does Agency Life Support Working Parents?
- Top Trends in the Way Millennials Work
We want to hear from you! How has your agency responded to new workplace trends?
