Allow men to care for their children and for women to have equal opportunity in the workplace and ... [+]
Mothers and fathers are treated differently. That’s what Derek Rotondo found out when he applied for and was denied 16 weeks paid parental leave from JPMorgan in 2017. As a man, he was presumed to not be the primary caregiver, which the 16-week policy was intended for, even though the policy used gender-neutral language.
In a recent settlement, JPMorgan agreed to ensure that its 16-week parental leave policy applies equally to mothers and fathers. Rotondo was granted full leave, and JPMorgan established a $5 million fund to compensate male employees who were denied or deterred from asking for parental leave as a primary caregiver.
When men are given opportunities to contribute to caregiving responsibilities, opportunities for women increase. It can eliminate the presumption that women are primary caregivers and give value to men’s caregiving abilities. It can give women opportunities outside the home to advance their careers and reach their potential.
Everyone benefits when caregiving is valued, regardless of who does it, as this allows both men and women to achieve their full potential. To mothers and fathers, women and men, here are three lessons learned from the JPMorgan case to help you reach your professional potential:
1. Know your rights, company policies and benefits to which you are entitled.
A fraud investigator for the bank, Derek Rotondo knew that JPMorgan offered 16 weeks of paid parental leave.
Know what benefits are provided. Read the company handbook. Listen to people, and hear what others are being offered. It is your job to know what you are entitled to.
2. Ask for the benefits.
Rotondo applied for the 16 weeks of paid parental leave.
Benefits are only benefits if you receive them. Take advantage of the benefits, and ask for them. Apply. Put your hat into the ring; it won’t just fall in your lap. If you don’t try to do something, nothing will be given to you. You bear the burden to get the ball rolling.
3. If you are treated differently, speak up.
Rotondo was denied the paid parental leave. He was told that birth mothers were presumed to be the primary caregivers, even though the bank’s policy was gender-neutral. Rotondo filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In the charge, he says his employer asked him to prove that his wife had returned to work after the child’s birth or was medically incapable of caring for the baby. He argued that the bank’s policy violated federal and state laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on their gender or gender-based stereotypes.
If there is anything to learn from the #MeToo movement, it is that now is the time to speak up and hold people accountable. Have the courage to know your rights and make your rights known to others. They bear the burden to defend their actions if they deny you the benefit.
“You can’t achieve full equality for women in the workplace unless and until men are taking on a more active role at home,” said Galen Sherwin, a lawyer for Rotondo. Until companies are fully onboard the equality train, it is your job to take them to task. Know what you are entitled to, make the ask and hold people accountable.
Are you using your rights to live up to your potential? Share with me your stories and thoughts via Twitter or LinkedIn.
