Ms. Ross isn't alone in her quest to change agency culture and
parental leave policy. Agencies in particular are competing for
talent against digital media and tech companies such as Google and Facebook that
offer more robust benefits. Spotify last November began offering all
full-time employees up to six months' parental leave with 100%
pay.
As shops seek to respond and as women attempt to break the glass
ceiling of an adland that still, in some corners, resembles
Sterling Cooper Draper Price, male and female agency CEOs alike are
updating antiquated policies. Among the many shops that have added
longer and more flexible hours for new parents returning to work
are Omnicom's Organic, holding company Interpublic Group of
Companies and independent media agency Horizon.
Prior to taking her own maternity leave, Ms. Ross quickly added
leave and flex benefits for new dads and adoptive parents. Upon her
return, she'll also look at the possibility of extending the
existing paid-time-off policy beyond two weeks and short-term
disability. And she'll consider adding better parking for pregnant
women and more flexibility for both new parents and non-parents,
she said.
"We want to look at ways to make it easier to be a parent and
not just [through] maternity leave," she said.
Ms. Ross said similar steps around the industry partly reflect
recent high-profile events, such as the lawsuit against the former
CEO of J. Walter Thompson, which have raised questions about the
gender divide, wage gaps and effective marketing. "The idea that a
single demographic can create impactful advertising for all people
is a misnomer," she said. "It's a changing world."
The resulting conversation is yielding an "overarching premise"
that includes treating new and expecting parents well.
The U.S. is one of the only countries without a nationalized
maternity program, Madonna Badger, chief creative officer of
Badger & Winters, said in another story
in the most recent issue of Ad Age. "Without family leave, none of
this matters," she said. Women start off evenly represented in the
workforce but their numbers dwindle significantly after their
childbearing and rearing years, she added.
As part of an enhanced family leave policy it implemented in
March, IPG expanded 100% paid paternity leave to six weeks from two
and added family-care initiatives such as new-parent counseling and
emergency daycare support.
"Family-friendly policies are top of mind and top talent is
demanding more and more in this area," IPG CEO Michael Roth said in
a statement. "Our new program, which we've renamed 'Employee &
Family Leave,' (rather than Parental Leave, as it has been known)
is more inclusive and robust, making us more competitive in the
industry. It's our hope that this change will provide our employees
with the opportunity to minimize financial stress when disabled or
caring for a new baby, adopted child or sick family member."
Independent media agency Horizon also recently began a program
called "Spring," which expands on the shop's "dedicated mother's
room" with a sponsored supplemental leave policy that "may provide
up to 11 weeks of pay, depending on eligibility, to 'facilitate a
smooth transition back to work for new mothers and fathers,'" a
Horizon spokeswoman said.
"Historically, it was the employees' responsibility to manage
all their personal needs outside of the workplace," said
Marie-Claire Barker, global chief talent officer at WPP's
MEC. "Companies are now waking up to the fact
that to compete for the best talent, they need to demonstrate their
ability to help their people with this aspect of their lives. It is
about creating a flexible environment which supports the overall
wellness of their talent, removing the barriers that inhibit them
from performing well and being innovative."
