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WORKING PARENTS SURVEY

In the spring of 2022, Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont and Charlotte Works conducted a survey of working parents in the greater Charlotte region to better understand how to support working parents in their return to the workforce after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey inquired about what matters most to them in terms of returning to the workforce and workplace satisfaction, and what employers can do to attract, retain and support working parents.

SURVEY FINDINGS

The survey found that 96.2% of respondents indicated that health and wellbeing was the factor that mattered most for working parents. The survey also revealed that 94% of parents would be willing to switch industries for a remote position and that 86% of parents are actively seeking a new job or are open to new opportunities. Additionally, the survey revealed that it’s important for employers to create policies, practices and a culture that supports the needs of working parents as well as provide flexibility to employees, especially working mothers, who were 1.5 times more likely to spend an additional three or more hours a day on the “second shift” during the pandemic. This additional time spent on housework and caregiving was even greater for single mothers.

The video below highlights other key survey findings and best practices for employers to respond to the survey findings.

MORE INFORMATION

Interested in learning more about the needs of working parents? We encourage you to read this brief, which synthesize recent research on working parents since the start of the pandemic, aiming to understand the challenges they face, the shifting needs of working caregivers and the research on what employers can do to help working parents.

 

Complete! That’s the first word that comes to mind when Madison Hiatt, a Pathways Career Navigator with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, thinks of her experience as an employee with the nonprofit.

“There are so many people that don’t want me to exist, but to be here where existing is promoted, and belonging is provided, that’s awesome,” Hiatt said with emotion.

Madison, who identifies as a woman of transgender experience, has not always felt accepted, especially in the workplace.

“I try not to beat myself up that it took 43 years of my life to actually find safety somewhere,” Madison emphasized. “With my last job, I didn’t have that. The people that worked for me and worked with me were always having to justify my existence to my bosses, directors and people in the community that I worked with in a professional capacity. So, it’s amazing how things change.”

Although the U.S. Supreme Court passed legislation in 2020 to make it clear that trans people are legally protected from workplace discrimination, unfortunately, instances of discrimination and othering are still prevalent in the workplace and there is still ambiguity around how these protections apply to gender identity. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, one in four transgender people have lost a job due to bias and discrimination. Three in four transgender people have experienced some form of workplace discrimination or harassment.

“Coming to a new workplace, I was scared to death to tell anyone,” Madison shared.

While Madison knows all too well what workplace discrimination feels like, she found support at Goodwill. Her career navigation team encouraged her to speak with the organization’s human resource team, who championed Madison; helping her transition to her preferred name and pronouns before her legal paperwork was approved, and encouraging her to be transparent and fulfill her desire to share her story of transition with her entire division.

“This is the very first time in my 23-year career that I’ve received a response like that. Everyone was just open arms and caring about it,” Madison said. “They’ve been celebrating along the way with me. Even people that I thought wouldn’t support me because of their religious beliefs, they still have supported me.”

The non-profit is supporting Madison with her surgery, which she will undergo at the end of summer, by allowing her to use two weeks of sick time while she has her procedures done. In addition, two colleagues have already agreed to take on her workload while she is out of office.

Madison feels the positive response is because of the inclusive culture Goodwill has created. “For the first time in my career, when I came on board with Goodwill, I truly had diversity on my team. There are people from different races, religions, sexual orientations. And everybody was respectful of that,” Madison emphasized.

This month, Madison shared her experience as a transgender woman in the workplace at Goodwill’s Coffee & Conversation: Equity in the Workplace panel on June 9, 2022, for Pride Month.

“If you’re not willing to acknowledge something and you’re not willing to talk about it, then nothing about it is ever going to change,” Madison said when asked why she wanted to be a part of the panel.

Although Madison is grateful to work at a company like Goodwill, that champions diversity in the workplace, has a DEIB Advisory Group and platforms like Coffee & Conversation where important topics are discussed, she knows there’s still more to be done. She hopes more employers adopt practices to create an inclusive workplace for the trans community and make all team members feel welcomed.

By: Chip Bryan, Director of Talent Acquisition & Justin Taylor, Stakeholder Engagement Manager

One of our shared purpose statements here at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is that “everyone and everything matters.” And we believe that to our core. We are committed to serving others with excellence regardless of their background, circumstance, the color of their skin, sexual orientation, gender expression or however they identify.

As we enter Pride Month, it is important for us to recognize that it takes intentional and concerted effort to build an equitable and inclusive workplace that endures. Creating an inclusive workplace for the LGBTQ+ community, specifically for individuals who are transgender, nonbinary and queer is important. While the trans community is often lumped in with the gay, lesbian and bi communities, there is far less representation and understanding about the challenges this population faces in the workplace and their daily lives.

It is important for us to understand these barriers so that employers can do their part to support our LGBTQ+ team members and create an inclusive experience at work.

– Lack of legal protection. The US Supreme Court passed legislation in 2020 to make it clear that trans people are legally protected from workplace discrimination. Unfortunately, instances of discrimination are still prevalent in the workplace and there is still ambiguity around how these protections apply to gender identity. One in four transgender people have lost a job due to bias and discrimination. Three in four transgender people have experienced some form of workplace discrimination or harassment.

– Poverty and homelessness. Approximately 29% of transgender adults live in poverty, with that percentage weighing in significantly higher for trans people of color. Stigma, discrimination, and violence against trans individuals has a significant impact on productivity in the workplace. Levels of violence against trans individuals has been at a record high over the past several years, specifically against black trans women. Also, trans men often face disproportionate levels abuse from their significant others.

– Lack of healthcare coverage. One in three trans adults have been refused health care by a provider due to their gender identity and many trans individuals avoid medical care completely due to past negative experiences.

– Identity documents. Think about what a pain it is to renew your passport, replace your social security card, or make changes to your bank accounts after getting married. Now think about how challenging that would be if you had to update all these documents with the correct name and/or gender marker. Not only can the process be time-consuming and tedious, but also expensive. Not to mention trans individuals may also face discrimination by the workers whose jobs it is to help people update their documents.

Now that we share some challenges that trans and nonbinary individuals face, organizations can be very intentional about what they can do to provide solutions. Here are some meaningful ways employers can do to support their trans and nonbinary employees:

– Be intentional in your recruitment efforts. Send your job openings to local LGBTQ+ advocacy groups to be shared with the participants they serve. You can also partner with these organizations to provide workshops and seminars focused on essential workforce skills.

– Preferred names. While legal names are required for payroll and certain benefits, that name should be kept confidential and there is no reason others on the team should know your team member as anything other than how they have identified themselves.

– Ensure your employee assistance programs have counselors trained to address LGBTQ+ issues. When faced with the challenges previously mentioned, it is not uncommon for individuals to turn to substance abuse, social isolation and have a negative self-image. They can benefit from the support offered by these programs, but only if the staff providing EAP counseling is well versed in issues specific to the LGTBQ+ community.

– Recognize Pride month as part of your DEI initiatives. It’s an important month of recognition for the promotion of self-affirmation, dignity, equality, acceptance and increased visibility for members of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a time to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as a time to commemorate years of struggle for civil rights and the ongoing pursuit of equity.

– Create inclusive anti-discrimination and dress code policies. Amend your anti-discrimination statement to include gender identity and review or modernize your company dress code to eliminate gender-specific language. It would be a good idea to make sure your team member handbook uses gender-neutral language.

– Incorporate pronouns in your email signature. This shows that you care about an individual’s preferences and is a simple solution to accidental misgendering. It also helps normalize discussions and understanding about gender rather than it being this taboo topic of conversation. While discussing pronouns may make some cisgender team members uncomfortable at first, it provides an opportunity for you as an employer to educate and reinforce appreciation for all team members. Also, if you do slip up and refer to someone by the wrong pronoun, simply apologize and move on rather than making a big deal.

– Inclusive healthcare options. Make your organization a progressive leader by examining queer and trans healthcare or insurance providers. Identify healthcare plans that cover gender-affirmative surgery, hormone therapy and strong mental healthcare support as the transgender community experiences significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide.

– Gender-neutral restrooms. Create gender-neutral restrooms in the workplace, thus creating a safe space for your team members to perform a basic bodily function without drawing any unnecessary attention to gender identity.

– Ensure that your DEI training includes LGBTQ+ inclusive practices. You also want to be aware of not singling anyone out or having a ‘token trans person’ who is expected to educate the rest of the company or organization on gender identity and trans-specific issues. It is not their responsibility to educate you. Be sure that the training includes examples of gender diversity and provides examples of how anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies relate to the trans community.

At Goodwill, our vision is to create a community where equitable access to career opportunities is available for all. Honoring this vision, and creating an equitable workplace, takes all of us working together, being honest about the effects of systemic issues and other inequities experienced by members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically for trans and nonbinary individuals. We all should be working to build an equitable and inclusive workplace year-round.

Building economic security for yourself and your family is the dream for many Americans. Navigating the financial barriers to economic mobility can be challenging and stressful to overcome. One significant barrier occurs when career advancement and associated wage increases puts a family above the income eligibility threshold for public assistance programs. This is a reality experienced by many families in our community.

This financial barrier comes in the form of the benefits cliff. People face a benefits cliff when they receive public benefits in the form of housing vouchers, food (such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or childcare subsidy, earn a raise and then discover that they make too much money to continue to receive certain benefits. However, they are not making enough money to sustain themselves and their household because at times the value of the loss of public benefits is greater than the wage increase.

Due to the loss of these programs, career advancement opportunities can result in the family being financially worse off (a benefits cliff) or no better off (a benefits plateau) than before the wage increase.

The realities of balancing a tight budget with no room for unexpected reductions in income or increases in expenses are stressful. However, finding and keeping a job, and continuously working to improve your skills and salary, are the best long-term strategies for economic security.

For the past 18 months, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont and its strategic partners, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and NC Budget & Tax Center have been championing solutions to mitigate the impact of the benefits cliff on workers and their families in Mecklenburg County. Goodwill has also been collaborating with other health and human services organizations, local employers, financial services and workforce development organizations, and local government to develop tools and solutions that will inform policy decisions, employers, human services agencies, advocates and workers.

The goals of Mecklenburg County Benefits Cliff Community Project are:

  1. developing community consensus on the impact of the benefits cliff for workers in our community
  2. identifying a shared policy agenda
  3. cataloging practical solutions for multiple stakeholder groups to address some of the disincentives created by benefits cliffs
  4. developing a playbook which will utilize the Career Ladder Indicator and Financial Forecaster (CLIFF) Dashboard customized for Mecklenburg County

The workgroup has made great progress elevating this work to key stakeholders and identifying policy recommendations and solutions for various stakeholder groups. Now, the project is moving into Phase II – raising awareness about the benefits cliff to the community and igniting others to join Goodwill in advocating solutions that inform policy decisions.

The area for needed policy changes the workgroup initially wants to address is the benefits cliff for childcare subsidies. Losing childcare assistance can result in a drastic benefits cliff. Advocates can address the benefits cliff by recommending that childcare benefits are phased out as families’ incomes rise. Which is why the organization has partnered with NC Budget & Tax Center to identify and advocate for solutions that inform the childcare eligibility requirements and other policy levers at the state and local levers. More to come on how you can help us in our advocacy efforts.

One of the core values for Goodwill is build a village. We know success is not achieved alone and our approach is collective, which is why our partners in this work are the following organizations:

In addition to these organizations, we are grateful for our process facilitators, Rodney Adams, of R. Adams & Associates and Linda Christopherson, of Linda Christopherson & Associates who have helped us to guide the project, research solutions and bring key thought leaders to the table.

“Because Goodwill has a commitment to help people to see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper, the impact of benefits cliff is something that we feel compelled to find solutions to address. I’m proud so many other organizations have joined us in championing and raising awareness for this issue. Our hope is to remove as many barriers as possible that keep people from pursuing the life they want to achieve,” said Chris Jackson, president and CEO at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.

At the heart of this work is to promote dignity, family stability and economic mobility for those affected by the benefits cliff. The cliff experience can leave individuals feeling defeated or hopeless as they support their families. Goodwill is here to change the narrative and provide solutions for individuals and their families looking to prosper.

If you would like to receive project updates and join us in advocating for solutions to eliminate the benefits cliff and building pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve, please contact LaRita Barber at LaRita.Barber@goodwillsp.org or Justin Taylor at Justin.Taylor@goodwillsp.org.

Source: https://www.atlantafed.org/economic-mobility-and-resilience/advancing-careers-for-low-income-families/what-are-benefits-cliffs 

We are excited to announce that Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is now endorsed by OneTen, a coalition of leading executives who put skills first. As part of OneTen’s network of talent development partners, Goodwill joins leading local, regional, and national education and skill-building organizations that help diverse talent identify, develop and build the skills to earn success. Together, we’ll cultivate more equitable access to opportunity and advancement for our participants and create more flexible talent pipelines and practices that will allow employees and employers to thrive.

“We look forward to having Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont join us as an endorsed talent developer to support us in our mission to hire and advance one million Black talent in the next ten years,” said Maurice Jones, chief executive officer of OneTen. “This effort will require a high functioning, multi-disciplinary coalition from corporate America, talent developers, Black talent, talent supports, and others, and it is crucial we have high-quality partners like Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont on that team. We are grateful for the work they have already done and are excited to partner with them going forward.”

OneTen has set out to change the way companies provide more equitable environments to drive better business outcomes and benefit all employees. Over the next 10 years, they’ll upskill, hire and advance one million Black individuals in America into family-sustaining careers, and be accountable for their ongoing retention, development and advancement.

“Goodwill is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the OneTen Coalition to create pathways to prosperity and a talent pipeline for Blacks and African Americans in our community. We are thankful to the OneTen Coalition for championing such an intentional national effort and awarding Goodwill a grant of $50,000 to be part of the village of difference makers,” said LaRita Barber, chief advancement officer for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. 

Our selection for this opportunity would not have been possible if not for the pathways that have been built over the years by our Employer Engagement and Goodwill University teams to provide a talent pipeline for individuals and employers in this community. Learn more about the career training programs and employment supports offered at Goodwill.

Goodwill’s Coffee & Conversation series is an opportunity for all in attendance to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of Goodwill’s work in the community and how collective investments and advocacy play a role in building pathways to prosperity for all. 

Each 90-minute, in-person event will engage attendees in thought-provoking discussions grouped in some of Charlotte’s key Diversity, Equity and Inclusion topics to bridge the gap between the community and those who engage with Goodwill through programs and services.  

With a capacity of 25 guests at each bi-monthly event, attendees will be grounded in community issues that will allow for lively, highly engaged group discussion co-created and facilitated by community change catalyst, Kellen Nixon, and Community Building Initiative’s Annetta Foard. Coffee & Conversation is a safe and trusting space for all attendees to lean confidently into their lived experiences and cultural identities. 

With the ultimate goal to connect the community to Goodwill’s shared purpose and mission, the Coffee & Conversation series will explore the following topics: 

Join us for our first Coffee & Conversation on February 24, where we will talk about building a village. Our community has grown because of the people in around it, and how we forge meaningful partnerships with one another is important to ensure our continued growth. Facilitator Kellen Nixon will guide us through this open conversation.

 

Register Now

 

by: Kevin Loux, Chief Impact Officer, Charlotte Works & Raquel Lynch, Chief Program Officer, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont

With over 4 million Americans quitting their job in August, September, and November 2021, the “Great Resignation” is no longer a pandemic trend, but a paradigm shift in the workforce. Many employers lament this talent shortage as a signal that no one wants to work. The narrative to date has focused on unemployment benefits and has portrayed this issue as a matter of “lazy and entitled” workers. Similarly, as most people would not drive twice as far to pay twice as much for the same product, the behavior of today’s workers is not caused by laziness but by rational decision-making. While employers are used to having more leverage than they do today, the reality is that the same market forces that drive the success of a business’s product or service are now impacting their ability to secure talent.  

Many businesses are familiar with the impacts of economic globalization through e-commerce but are now seeing these same forces impact their workforce. With the increased availability of remote work, the demand for job seekers is not limited to a specific geography, which means employers have more competition than ever before. Just as e-commerce has benefited the most adaptable companies and put those that relied on only a geographic footprint out of business, the shift in the job market has the same power. Even companies without remote positions must consider that a job seeker with the skills to work remotely may do so, which reduces the supply of local talent. Just as consumers will not pay more for a worse product, job seekers will not take less pay for a lower-quality, less flexible job. This is also complicated because the labor market has a backward bending supply curve, which is a fancy way of saying that beyond a certain level of pay, most workers will value increased leisure time over increased revenue. This effect also extends to the quality of position in terms of flexibility and culture, where individuals may take pay cuts to move to companies that provide a better environment or lifestyle beyond a certain level of pay.  

While this is an overly simplistic analysis, it is illustrative of today’s labor market. The reality is that the talent shortage doesn’t impact employers with quality jobs; it affects employers without quality positions. These could be employers that pay a low wage, have poor working conditions, a toxic company culture, or all the above. Many employers have been quick to increase wages but still cannot find talent as they overlook other elements of the equation. Workers have more options now, especially with the rising gig economy, and attracting and retaining talent is about more than just pay and location. Our recent talent survey of over 200 local individuals found that while wage was important, an opportunity for career advancement was even more critical.1 Even if you are fully staffed today, 58% of currently employed individuals we surveyed were actively looking to leave their job. Many see the talent shortage as an opportunity to shift to new markets, leaving behind lower-paying local jobs for higher-paying global careers. This means that even companies with talent may face high turnover if they have a poor working environment, low wages, or little opportunity for advancement.  

What does this mean for employers struggling to attract or retain talent? While there is no quick fix, we can learn from history. In 1914, a time of labor unrest, Henry Ford announced he would pay $5 a day to his workers, double the industry standard. In 1926, he would go on to standardize the 40-hour workweek with no reduction in pay, slashing in half the industry standard of 80 hours a week or more. At the time, Ford said, “It is high time to rid ourselves of the notion that leisure for workmen is either ‘lost time’ or a class privilege.” Many were concerned about productivity declines, but when Ford saw productivity gains, eventually, the world followed suit. Adjusted for inflation and the current work schedule, that $5 a day in 1926 is equivalent to over $100,000 a year today. Of course, not every company is Ford; what about other employers? The federal minimum wage in 1968 was equivalent to $12 an hour in today’s economy, but that adjusted rate has been steadily declining since. 

Additionally, if the minimum wage had kept pace with workers’ productivity, it would be over $26 an hour today. Like in 1926, now many are again questioning if we can also increase productivity by reducing working hours and raising wages. The four-day workweek is being slowly adopted worldwide by companies looking to attract talent, including Kickstarter. After adopting the four-day work week, Wanderlust has seen a 136% year-over-year growth in gross merchandise volume. Rethinking and reimagining pay and working schedules based on empirical evidence like Henry Ford did rather than just copying his practices of $5 a day and 40 hours a week is critical for employers to attract and retain talent today.  

What about employers still struggling to hire after increasing pay and flexibility? Instead of competing in today’s red ocean of talent poaching, maybe it is time to find a blue ocean of talent. A recent study from Harvard found that there are 27 million latent workers nationally. This is a talent pool that wants to work more, but they are currently not able to. This includes part-time workers who want to go full-time, and workers who have been so discouraged they have stopped looking for work, even if they want to work. If they want to work or work more, why are these latent workers not applying? In the study, 84% found the application process too difficult, and many of these individuals had to submit between 20 to 40 job applications to get a single offer. Employers who are willing to rethink job descriptions, streamline their applicant tracking system, and remove excessive experience and background requirements will have a competitive advantage in attracting an untapped pool of talent. Removing unnecessary barriers also helps employers tap into the talent Charlotte Works and Goodwill work to upskill and prepare for careers. 

Another key finding from our talent survey was that job seekers valued an opportunity for career advancement even more than a position’s salary. This underscores the importance of continually investing in employee training and development for talent attraction. While this is often cost-prohibitive for small and medium businesses, Charlotte Works and Goodwill have funding and services specifically designed to help companies with the training and development of workers. With quit rates at a recent high, how do you retain talent? The top reasons from our talent survey were flexibility, company culture, and workload balance. Embracing remote work when possible, looking at preventing burnout, and keeping workers safe are all critical parts of a multi-pronged talent retention strategy.  

As an employer seeking commitment from job seekers, what are you willing to commit to providing in return for loyalty and productivity? We invite you to look at your talent development efforts and recruitment efforts, but most of all, look at your core values. Those lived values will drive job seekers to you and to stay. Money is an essential factor, but company culture and commitment to your workers are equally important. Before you renew your employee-focused efforts, take time to analyze the number of quality jobs you currently offer, consider assessing and updating your staffing plan, but most of all, don’t be a “lazy and entitled” employer in the eyes of job seekers.  

On Monday, January 17, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont recognizes Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day. This holiday celebrates and honors the life and achievements of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of America’s most prominent civil rights leaders.

Dr. King was a Baptist minister who advocated the use of nonviolence to end racial segregation in the 1950s and ‘60s. MLK Day is usually celebrated with marches, parades and speeches by today’s civil right leaders and politicians. This year we invite you to reflect on the vision Dr. King had that was largely responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Dr. King had a vision for our world, that all people are created equal and should enjoy the same rights and privileges, just as Goodwill has a vision for our community. We envision a community where equitable access to career opportunities is available for all.

Although we’re known for our retail stores throughout the Southern Piedmont region, we help people find meaningful work and provide employment services to meet the evolving needs of our community.

In the spirit of Dr. King’s message, we stand firm in strengthening our commitment to advancing equitable opportunities for all. Equity for all is at the forefront of our vision. The pathways that we build to help people pursue the life they want to achieve look different for everyone, and we’re committed to bringing those dreams to life.

In addition to recognizing the life and achievements of Dr. King, MLK Day is also designated as a National Day of Service. For many people in America, MLK Day represents a “day on, not a day off,” as they go into their communities to practice the teachings of Dr. King. We know success isn’t achieved alone, which is why we encourage partnership and collaboration to help our community prosper.

We encourage you to find local volunteer opportunities and take action to help people see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper.

Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), held every August, was created in 2011 by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland and the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network as an annual global celebration of African-descent giving. BPM culminates with a giving day on August 28 initiated by The Young, Black & Giving Back Institute to promote financial support for Black-led and Black-benefitting organizations.

We are so grateful for donors like Shantia Coley! Shantia also serves on the board of directors for Goodwill. Her ongoing support helps people in our community access employment services and job training for in-demand skills, free of charge.

“As a woman of color, I know firsthand the inequities facing our communities. I am thankful for nonprofits such as Goodwill that consistently encourage, lift and provide for our people. These organizations make it a priority to offer resources necessary to provide equity and in return I make it a priority to offer of myself. I will forever support those who go to such lengths to support historically disenfranchised groups, and I will continue to remain a faithful donor to these organizations,” said Shantia.

Special thanks to Shantia for her investment in Goodwill’s mission and launching careers for so many people!

This year, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is August 3. It is also the approximate day a Black woman must work into the new year to earn what a white non-Hispanic man earned at the end of the previous year. This means it would take a Black woman, working full time, approximately eight extra months to earn what the average white non-Hispanic man earns in one year.

This day was created to challenge the legal policy and cultural barriers at the state, local and national level that prevent Black and African American women from achieving equal pay. Based on American Community Survey (ACS) Census data, the 2021 wage gap for Black women compared to non-Hispanic white men is 63 cents.

Economic Policy Institute (EPI) studies show that “Black-white wage gaps are large and have gotten worse in the last 20 years,” EPI economist Elise Gould wrote in a blog post last year. “Even Black workers with an advanced degree experience a significant wage gap compared with their white counterparts.”

Our purpose at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is to help people see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper. Of the people we serve, many are women within the Black community. We recognize that closing the wage gap for Black women is a key part of the work our community must do to help remove barriers and dismantle systems of oppression holding women of color back.

We cannot achieve racial equity without gender equity.

Goodwill helps people in our community have equitable access to career opportunities through job training and employment services offered at no cost. That includes GoodWork Staffing, which helps people find job opportunities, Goodwill University, which provides in-demand skills training in high-growth fields, along with career coaching to help people uncover and achieve their goals.

According to another study conducted by EPI, Black women are more likely to be essential workers and more likely to have lost their jobs during the pandemic.  In addition to being paid less than their white male counterparts, they have been disproportionately impacted by the unemployment crisis.

One key factor for organizations to recognize when we talk about closing the wage gap, especially during a pandemic, is that nearly 40% of Black workers don’t have access to paid sick days. When Black workers or their families get sick, they can lose wages, or even their job, for staying home.

It takes intentional and concerted effort to ensure fair and inclusive pay policies. In an article by Michael A. Tucker, he shares actions employers can take to ensure pay equity for people of color. Although we know employers can be a great asset in helping to close the wage gap within their organizations, we still must address the federal policies that prevent Black and African American women from achieving equal pay.

At Goodwill, we aim to create an environment where all people can see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper. Honoring this purpose, we will continue to advocate for Black Women’s Equal Pay Day to ensure Black women in our community and beyond can live the life they envision for themselves and their families.