Amongst all the reading we’ve done here at RALIANCE in recent weeks, one trend became clear: We’ve seen many examples of influential people and institutions, such as policymakers and investors, working to push for a change in how our culture approaches issues of diversity and sexual harassment. Check out some of our most notable reads below:
• Congress closes in on sexual misconduct reform, 4 years after its #MeToo moment (Politico): A bipartisan group of lawmakers are aiming to pass a bill that would prevent private companies from using forced arbitration – a mediation process between survivors and perpetrators conducted outside the legal system – to manage sexual misconduct claims. The effort is a sign of how issues regarding sexual harassment, misconduct and abuse have become an increasingly mainstream aspect of the political conversation.
• Goldman asset management arm takes tough stance on companies’ board diversity (Financial Times): Large investors can play a significant role in pushing for culture change at public companies during shareholder votes, and Goldman Sachs is offering the latest example. The company’s asset management firm declared that it will vote against members of a company’s nominating committee if its board does not have a minimum number of female and minority board members. Ideally, the move will help to push for a more diverse range of people to have a seat at the table.
• Microsoft shareholders vote for the company to publish sexual-harassment report, in rare win for activists (CNBC): In another sign of shareholder power, Microsoft’s investors voted to approve a proposal asking the company to publish a report on its workplace sexual harassment policies and their effectiveness. The proposal is notable for receiving nearly 78% of the shareholder vote, a rare win for a proposal initiated by activist investors, a type of investor know for pushing corporate leaders to make changes.
We’ll continue to bring critical news updates your way here at the RALIANCE blog to make sure you’re in the know about issues that matter in the effort to lead culture change.
RALIANCE provides consulting, assessment, and employee development services to help build more equitable workplace cultures and create environments free from sexual harassment, misconduct and abuse. We stand ready to support your organization’s goals – contact us today at info@raliance.org to get started.