Portland Timbers fans set off red smoke in support of the NWSL women's soccer players as their ongoing protest over the sexual harassment scandal by former Portland Thorns coach, Paul Riley. (Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
An independent inquiry commissioned by the United States Soccer Federation found abuse by coaches is systemic within the National Women's Soccer League, based on 200 interviews that revealed "report after report of relentless, degrading tirades; manipulation that was about power, not improving performance; and retaliation against those who attempted to come forward." NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman pledged to "learn from and take responsibility for the painful lessons of the past in order to move the league into a better future" while U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone stated "the abuse described is inexcusable and has no place on any playing field, in any training facility or workplace."
Unpaid internships -- common in fields such as teaching, journalism and social work -- are coming under fire for putting some students at a disadvantage because they can't afford not to work while in school. "[I]t's very difficult to take an unpaid internship, unpaid work experience, when you're from a lower-income background," says Joshua Kahn, associate director of research and public policy at National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Brandon Hall Group's Claude Werder outlines four ways leaders can improve talent retention. Implement continuous listening strategies to gain insights about the employee experience, Werder advises, and be proactive to develop ways to help employees feel valued and be successful.
Tailored employee benefits that address different life stages and multigenerational needs, such as student loans or fertility services, can help companies and organizations attract and retain staff more effectively, writes Jaclyn Chen, CEO and co-founder of Benepass. Providing these flexible, personalized benefits is a step toward greater workforce diversity, equity and inclusion.
It's the responsibility of everyone -- employees, managers and CEOs -- to begin the difficult conversation around "quiet quitting" and find a direction forward together, writes Marlene Chism. Chism offers 10 questions those at every level should consider, including queries about how performance is defined and measured and whether employees feel like they have a voice within the company.
My daughter, Kawai, worked at a local fast food place when she was 18. It was her first job. She liked the food, enjoyed serving the public and got along well with her co-workers.
A few months into her time there, she began mentioning incidents that occurred with the cooks or owner – comments made or times she caught them watching her a bit closely. She didn’t think anything of it, but my Mama instincts saw red flags. When I poked into it a bit more, she admitted that sometimes the comments made her uncomfortable.
“But I’m safe, Mom,” she assured me. “They say those things to all the girls. And I’m looking for another job anyway. I don’t make enough there.”
I remember feeling anger boil in me when she told me all of this. I wanted to race down there and throttle someone. Instead, I let her know that those comments were not OK. “Even when they seem playful,” I explained. “It’s called harassment. This isn’t overreacting. It’s a serious thing. Those guys might not be dangerous, but they’re not smart either. They should know better than to make those comments. This isn’t a good place to work.”
I thought of Kawai’s experience when I read today’s top story about abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League. As a long time fan of the women’s game, I am sick to hear about the incidents of misconduct, especially how the “abuse was at times seen as normal behavior because of practices that are entrenched in the game throughout the sport, starting at the youth level.” I was even more sick to hear that US Soccer has no policies in place pertaining to harassment, retaliation or fraternization or guidelines for independent reporting of issues.
We have to do better. The workplace should be safe. I wish that all employers took this seriously but since they don’t, I talked to my kids about harassment and reporting of incidents. My kids hate confrontation and didn’t like the idea of reporting a co-worker, but they both promised to address issues if they come up again.
“Because we don’t want to see you coming through the front door,” said Kiaha, and Kawai nodded. I shrugged. I won’t apologize for protecting my blood.
“Then don’t put the key to your safety in someone else’s pocket. Protect yourself,” I told them sternly.
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