Advocating for Successful Workplaces for Women and Employers
Business and Professional Women’s Foundation partners with women, employers and policymakers to create successful workplaces that practice and embrace diversity, equity and work-life balance.
Through our groundbreaking research, network of national supporters and unique role as a convener of employers and employees, BPW Foundation leads the way in developing and advocating polices and programs that “work” for both women and businesses.
BPW Foundation has provided testimony and comments before Congress and the Administration on key issues.
- Successful Workplace
- Empowered Workforce
- Public Policy
Successful Workplace
What is a Successful Workplace? Successful Workplaces are those that embrace and practice diversity, equity and work life balance.
Is your organization creating a successful workplace? Are you interested in transforming the 21st century workplace?
- WOMENomics® Forum Toolkit – a signature grassroots program that brings together local businesses, government, educational institutions, and civic organizations in your community.
- Employer Resources – products and information to assist companies in branding themselves as women and veteran-friendly.
- Successful Workplaces Digest– an innovative publication showcasing policies and best practices of employers that are improving the workplace. The publication is organized with theme tags such as mature workforce, thinking green, veterans and diversity.
- Workplace Policy – BPW Foundation believes that such workplaces require systemic change, including both voluntary practice and public policy.
Empowered Workforce
BPW Foundation conducts evidence-based research and programming to empower all working women. We have conducted targeted research on sub-populations including Women Veterans, Young Careerists and Women in the Green Economy. By studying these sub-populations of working women, we are able to apply lessons learned and shared experiences across the entire spectrum of working women.
Public Policy
Equity and Access for Working Women – BPW Foundation’s research examines workplace issues and informs its policy work. For the first time in history, there are four generations in the workforce at the same time. This multi-generational workplace presents new challenges and opportunities for both employees and employers. Equity and access for all generations of women is critical for the success of workplaces and families. Our advocacy has focused on pay equity, financial and retirement security, STEM and health care. BPW Foundation supports National Women’s History Museum
Work-Life Balance – Ninety percent of American mothers and 95 percent of American fathers report work-family conflict. BPW Foundation recognizes that this is a family issue and proposes a multi-prong approach: advocating for workplace standards legislation, developing employer tools and empowering all employees to request and use flexible policies. BPW Foundation supports the Healthy Families Act (paid sick days) and the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (paid parental leave) and expansions to FMLA. Paid sick leave, paid parental leave, workplace flexibility, and affordable child care are all necessary tools in the quest for work-life balance.
Support for Women Small Business owners – Women have come a long way not only in the workforce, but also starting their own small business and developing their entrepreneurial goals. There are 7.8 million women-owned businesses in the United States – a 20.1% increase from 2002 to 2007. In 2008, majority women-owned businesses in the U.S. had a total economic impact of $2.8 trillion. That translates into the creation and maintenance of more than 23.7 million jobs, and accounts for 16% of all U.S. jobs. BPW has worked to ensure that women owned small businesses are treated fairly and get their share of government contracting work.
Advocacy
Empowering Women to Be Great Advocates BPW Foundation provides tools and resources so working women can get involved in public policy development and activities in their own workplaces and government.
National Business Women’s Week®
Since 1928 Business and Professional Women has sponsored National Business Women’s Week® (NBWW). Each year during October, working women across the country take the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the important role women play in the nation’s economy, past and present.
Working Women and Health Care TRICARE
TRICARE Moms Improvement Act of 2014 – requires the contracts entered into by the Secretary of Defense (DOD) for medical care for military dependents (e.g., TRICARE) to provide for breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling as appropriate during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Equal Pay Day
Equal Pay Day symbolizes the point in the year at which women’s wages catch up to men’s wages from the previous year. Working women recognize Equal Pay Day by lobbying their legislators, holding press conferences and hosting “Unhappy Hours.”