Why Free Tampons Matter

And the other small — but big — things that make work great for women

I’m the CMO at a fast-growing startup, and I’m also a woman (and mother). With these three roles, I’ve made it my responsibility to advocate for things that make working life better all women and parents.

Making Chatbooks one of the best places for women and parents to work is a priority: one where we elevate women, embrace families, and create a work environment that feels like it’s actually 2021. We’ve done the big, foundational things: sponsoring women in leadership roles, ensuring compensation and opportunity parity, and offering paid family leave are some of the biggies.

But there are also a few “small” efforts that have made an outsize impact on employee wellbeing. And while it might be hard to get your company to change health care policies, these small things that make life easier can take a work experience from “pretty good” to “amazing.” They can show that a company is actively trying to be thoughtful, and they’re often indicators that there are advocates throughout the whole company who “speak for the women” and are empowered to create action.

Free Tampons

At Chatbooks, we stock a free, premium selection of feminine care items in each women’s restroom. A few years ago, an assistant (thank you Stephanie!) just took it upon herself to make it happen, and now we can’t imagine life without this small perk. It costs us $30 a month, but I’ve had multiple women tell me that they noticed (and appreciated) it when they stopped in the restroom during their job interviews.

Why free tampons? It removes little stresses: running to your desk between meetings to grab one and discreetly carry it to the restroom, or worse yet, not having one when you need it (and those old school vending machines don’t solve it — who carries quarters anymore?). As this New York Times Work Life question addresses, many companies pay for snacks, but just don’t “get” that tampons are an equally helpful (and frequently used) perk for women at the office. It’s a no-brainer to add to the monthly office supplies list!

Calendar Transparency

When I was a young whippersnapper working in NYC, you were expected to always be at the office. I soon learned a trick of the trade: leave a coat slung over your chair when you slipped out for a doctor’s appointment or family emergency, so it would look like you never left.

Of course, with today’s remote work world, “in-person” is no longer the same thing, but we want to make sure that people aren’t feeling like they need to be at their desks and on Slack all the time, too.

At Chatbooks, we trust our team members to be “grown ups”: to get their work done well and on time, but to manage their time however makes sense for them. Employees can set their own working hours (some start at 8 am, others at 9:30 am), and everyone at the company can see each other’s availability. The default calendar setting is public and the leadership team sets the example of keeping our “personal” things out in the open. When I pop out for a doctor’s appointment or schedule in a Peloton ride, it’s all visible, which makes it easier for others to practice. Calendar transparency is key for building trust in a culture that is more flexible about where and how work gets done.

Better Company Swag

Unisex logo t-shirts are a mainstay — but, I don’t know a single woman who wears one outside of pajamas. A few years ago, we noticed that the men at Chatbooks were wearing their swag to the office all of the time. The women? Never.

We did two simple things to make sure our swag was appealing to all genders: first, we intentionally included both men and women in the swag process, from brainstorming ideas to purchasing decisions.

Second, we decided to make different clothing options available for men and for women — different cuts or necklines on a t-shirt, or ordering men’s jackets from one company and women’s from another. Sometimes, that means spending a little more for one set or another. And occasionally we decide we want swag that truly is for everyone–like our 1st anniversary Chuck Taylors — and we find something that’s truly unisex. But unisex t-shirts? Byeeee.

Mother’s Parking Spots

Again, while we’re not in the office five days a week, we want things to work well when team members do come in. So we created dedicated parking spots, right by the doors, for expecting and new parents. It’s another one of those things that doesn’t seem like a big deal, until it does — whether that’s wanting to skip steps during the third trimester or juggling a newborn carrier and all the diaper bag paraphernalia, an easy parking spot is just one thing to breathe easy about.

Decked Out Mother’s Lounges

We had full executive buy-in to create the best Mother’s Lounges possible at Chatbooks, and I knew exactly what we needed after just one day back from my first maternity leave. Here’s the short-list: dedicated, soundproof, and lockable rooms; sinks (for hand and pump washing); refrigerators (for storing milk and parts); a chair and a work table. We also have hospital grade (aka, shareable) pumps, so women can just bring their own accessory parts each day and not drag a heavy pump to and from work.

In addition, we bought a stash of “emergency” parts for that inevitable time when you just forget something (people replace it with a new one if they take something). We added snacks and water bottles, because sometimes it’s the only 5 minutes you get all day. We also stock a few baby accessories in the room: nursing pillow, diapers, wipes, and changing pad in case people have their kids in the office.

Plugs in the restrooms

Outlets in the restrooms don’t matter until someone is trying to curl their hair before a board presentation or charging a phone on the fly. Someday someone will thank you. Plugs. So 2021.

Regularly looking at the data

Looking at data is a small thing that leads, indirectly, to all the big things. Our executive team looks at an updated dashboard each month that has the following facts: % women in each division (i.e. marketing, product, analytics, etc) and overall company, % women in leadership positions in each division and overall, and % women in the top 25% of compensation.

There’s nothing like staring data in the face — on a regular basis — to guide all sorts of decision making. Sometimes the data sparks an hour-long ideas-fest and lots of action. Sometimes it’s a 3-minute check-in conversation. As they say: you can only change what you measure. So measuring is the first small step to take.

What “small things” matter to you, as a woman in the workplace? What have you seen be effective? Please share! We’re all in this learning from each other.