Melissa NicholsoN INTRO

MELISSA NICHOLSON: By silently erasing International Women’s Day and other significant cultural events, these tech giants are sending a very troubling message. International Women’s Day isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s a symbol of the progress we have made and the challenges we continue to face. It’s a reminder of the fight for women’s rights.

Introduction

INTRO: Welcome to Job Share Revolution. The show about job sharing—a partnership between two people to bring two minds and skill sets to one full-time position. I’m Melissa Nicholson, former job sharer turned founder of the first U.S. job share company. But it wasn’t long ago that I felt like an utter failure at work and as a new parent. Job sharing was my game-changer. I reclaimed four days a week to fully engage in my life while my capable partner handled everything. Together, we achieved more than I ever could solo. Fast forward to many lessons learned to bring you the training and support I wish I’d had to change lives and the modern-day workplace. Let’s live life and slay work.

Melissa NICHOLSON

MELISSA NICHOLSON: Hey friend, it’s Mel – welcome back to Jobshare Revolution. Today, I need to address something that’s been weighing heavily on my mind—a development that, frankly, has me both frustrated and deeply concerned.

This past Saturday, March 8th, we celebrated International Women’s Day—a day dedicated to honoring the achievements of women worldwide and acknowledging the ongoing struggle for gender equality. Yet, many of us noticed something truly unsettling: International Women’s Day was conspicuously absent from both Apple and Google’s calendar applications. I don’t even know where to start with this.

Now, Apple has stated that International Women’s Day was never included in their calendar app.

Google, on the other hand, has removed not only International Women’s Day but also other cultural observances like Women’s History Month, Black History Month, Pride Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day from its calendar.

Let’s talk about why this is more than just a simple oversight. Calendars are essential tools, especially for those of us juggling demanding work schedules and personal lives. And let’s be honest—who often bears the brunt of this balancing act? Mothers. Women who meticulously plan every aspect of their family’s lives rely on these digital calendars to keep everything on track.

By silently erasing International Women’s Day and other significant cultural events, these tech giants are sending a troubling message. It’s performative at best and dismissive at worst. It undermines the importance of recognizing the struggles and achievements of marginalized communities—not just in the U.S., but globally.

International Women’s Day isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s a symbol of the progress we’ve made and the challenges we continue to face. It’s a reminder of the fight for women’s rights—to vote, to receive equal pay, to have autonomy over our bodies. Erasing such observances is a step backward, diminishing the significance of these hard-earned, hard-fought rights.

Now, let’s pivot to a related issue: the current climate surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—DEI—initiatives. We’ve seen a troubling trend where DEI programs are being rolled back or dismissed as mere “tick-box” exercises.

This not only devalues the experiences of underrepresented groups but also ignores the tangible benefits that diversity brings to the workplace.

Research has consistently shown that diverse teams lead to better decision-making and innovation. According to McKinsey & Company’s latest global study in December 2023: Diversity Matters Even More: The Case for Holistic Impact, they found the most compelling case for greater representation on executive teams to date!

This isn’t just a one-off study. 2023’s global study is the fourth since McKinsey has been researching how gender and ethnic diversity impacts company performance. The first: Why Diversity Matters was in 2015,  the second, Delivering Through Diversity in 2019, and the third Diversity Wins was in 2020. With the latest, Diversity Matters Even More in 2023. And guess what? The data consistently and progressively show that both gender and ethnically diverse companies reap results to the bottom line. Dollars and cents, friend! 

Here is what their 2023 study finds: companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 39% more likely to financially outperform their peers. And the same is true for ethnic diversity representation. Companies in the top quartile for ethnic diversity on executive teams were 39% more likely to financially outperform their peers. 

Those are facts. That’s pretty jaw dropping don’t you think? And a big reason that companies cannot afford to throw out their DEI programs due to political pressure. I am just citing facts folks. Well-researched facts. In fact, since McKinsey has been performing this ongoing research starting in 2015, ethnically diverse companies have increased from ranged from 33% to 39% but the ginormous shift in their research on women is staggering. In 2015, 15% of companies with gender-diverse executive teams financially outperformed their peers. That jumped to 21% in 2018, then 25% in 2020, and a whopping 39% in 2023. Enough so, that I’d say, private monopolies like Google and Apple that interact with our daily lives AND companies globally should mind their Ps and Qs. Do they think women and other underrepresented groups, including our disabled brothers and sisters, will stand by while they erase us from the internet? From company initiatives to support us? From society? 

Diversity isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a business advantage. Companies that embrace diverse perspectives are better equipped to understand and serve their customers, drive innovation, and adapt to changing markets.

To the companies whose values don’t align with or respect the very people who work for them—women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people of color—hear this: Recognizing and honoring the struggles for equal rights isn’t just about doing the right thing; it’s about fostering a thriving economy and enhancing your bottom line.

When workplaces are inclusive and equitable, employees are more engaged, productive, and committed. This isn’t a zero-sum game; everyone stands to gain when we create environments where all individuals can thrive.

I’d love to hear what you think about all of this, friend. DM me on LinkedIn or text me in the podcast app. Hop into our Job Share, Live Life + Slay Work Facebook Group. If you’re as outraged as I am about this, I want to hear from you. I’d love it if you could share this episode with a friend. They may not have even been aware. I mean, let’s face it. They erased us from the calendar. It didn’t even show up for them. 

I have a feeling this isn’t the first or only time that little by little, women will be signaled, shamed, or scolded in the coming year. I have never been a shy thing, but I would feel pretty crappy if Work Muse didn’t take a stand when entire groups of together. When the very thing that defines the company I started is to lean into our differences and how when we leverage those diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and lived experiences—we create more impact, and better results. That we’re happier at work and we’re happier at home.  It all works together, friends.      

Job sharing by the way, greatly improves women’s (and other underrepresented professionals’) chances of making it to the C-suite, if that’s what they want. Sharing the load leveraging two brilliant minds, two backgrounds, and two lived experiences for greater results with the time we need to care for our families and ourselves is how we make America exceptional. We need every single one of us. All of our ideas. All of our experiences. All of our energy. 

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this episode. It’s something to think about. And if you weren’t aware, I just couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t bring it to your attention because I know you care. I know you deeply care. OK friend, let me know how you feel about this. I want to hear all of your thoughts.  Until next week, I’m sending you a lot of love, friend. Remember, it’s all in you. See you next time, same time, same place. Bye for now.