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The Report
The COVID-19 pandemic left an indelible mark on all sectors of society, including the workforce. In the aftermath, 4.5 million people left their jobs, a million more than in any month before the start of the pandemic. The changing economy and workforce is having a disproportionate effect on women in particular: Nearly 1.8 million women dropped out of the labor force and continue to grapple with whether and how to return to work in a vastly different landscape. But with the “Great Resignation” comes great opportunity to reflect upon and reshape our workplace policies and culture.
Building upon these themes, the Purple Campaign and Harvard Law School Executive Education designed and led a two-day interactive policy design workshop on April 20th and 21st, 2022. Over the two days, participants learned about the Purple Campaign’s unique four-part policy framework: Reduce, Respond, Rethink and Rebuild. The workshop convened corporate executives, academics, thought leaders, advocates, and survivors to share and solicit input on innovative reforms to address workplace harassment and retain top talent in the unprecedented moment our workforce has been experiencing. Content for this report has been compiled from the Purple Campaign’s Great Opportunity workshop sessions, background research, applicable research studies, as well as conversations with corporate leaders and policy experts.
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Key Takeaways
This report summarizes learnings from the Great Opportunity workshop and is organized into four parts, based upon each of the four content sessions. Each section provides direction for how individuals and organizations can embrace this new opportunity.
Part I
REDUCE: Creating and Reinforcing a Respectful Work Environment
The number of U.S. workers who quit their jobs reached a new high in November 2021 when 4.5 million people resigned, leading to the “Great Resignation.” Significantly, the most common reason workers quit during the Great Resignation was toxic company culture (31%). Today’s employees prioritize respectful work environments and meaningful work as much as traditional incentives like higher wages. This workshop session addressed how companies can build more intentional, transparent, and employee-centered workplaces by creating a shared culture around acceptable behavior, and implementing educational programs like manager and leadership development training, to reinforce those shared values.
Featured speakers for this session
Christina Gialleli, Director of People Operations, Epignosis
Liz Tippett, Associate Professor, University of Oregon School of Law
Dallas Thompson, Training Director, The Purple Method
Watch this session:
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Part II
RESPOND: Demonstrating Accountability to Inspire Employee Confidence
The recent public outcry by employees over corporate mishandling of sexual harassment shed light on the importance of taking swift action in response to credible reports to ensure a safe environment for all employees. Now that the world of work has changed, creative solutions are needed to help create workplaces where all employees feel heard and valued. This session examined why employees are pushing their workplaces to take allegations of sexual harassment seriously, and how employers can implement reporting, investigation, and corrective action policies that build trust and ensure accountability.
Featured speakers for this session
Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Documentary filmmaker, Author, Educator & Activist
Lynn Haaland, Chief Compliance, Ethics & Privacy Officer, Zoom Video Communications
Brittany Anthony, Head of Member Safety Policies, Bumble
WATCH THIS SESSION:
Part III
RETHINK: Implementing Intentional DEI Efforts to Build a Thriving Company Culture
An inclusive workplace culture is no longer just “nice to have,” it’s essential in the current talent market. Companies that prioritize and celebrate “cognitive diversity” – the inclusion of people who have different styles of problem-solving and can offer unique perspectives because of their diverse identities and backgrounds – may have less to worry about when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent now and in the future. This session addressed how companies can shift the corporate mindset and utilize an intersectional lens to implement DEI initiatives that are intentional, actionable, and sustainable, thus boosting employee morale and improving the bottom line.
Featured speakers for this session
Danita Rucks Oliver, Head of Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, RingCentral
Elizabeth Nieto, Head of Equity & Impact, Spotify
Chief Justice Rebeca Martinez, Texas Fourth Court of Appeals
WATCH THIS SESSION:
Part IV
REBUILD: Investing in the Future of Work
The respectful treatment of employees at all levels is the #1 factor in employee job satisfaction. Purple Certification has been used to recognize employers taking exemplary steps to address workplace harassment in the wake of #MeToo. Undergoing certification signals to employees that their workplace takes these critical issues seriously – one Senior Marketing Associate surveyed even said they would consider taking a slightly lower salary to work at a company that was Purple certified. This session provided an overview of the Purple Certification Program from both the people who developed it and the companies that have participated in it, and provided information about how organizations can join the program to invest in the future of work.
Featured speakers for this session
Deanna Slocum, Sr. Director, Ethics & Compliance, Uber
Robb McFadden, Head of Employee Relations, Gilead Sciences
Ally Coll, President & Co-Founder, Purple Campaign
