"Professor Says the Workplace Is the Fifth Leading Cause of Death in the U.S."
"Pregnancy Discrimination Is Rampant Inside America’s Biggest Companies"
"78% of Employees in Tech Report Experiencing Unfair Behavior or Treatment"

These are just a few recent headlines about the American workplace. From microaggressions and gaslighting to being groped by customers to HR teams that retaliate against employees for reporting issues, there’s no shortage of toxic and unacceptable behavior.

The headlines paint a bleak picture. And prompt a critical question: “now what?”

At Empower Work, we’ve seen that people have incredible ability to navigate complex situations if they have trained, informed support to talk through what they know of themselves, their employer, their boss, the players involved. Our text line provides a non-judgemental space to think through the implications, and if needed, get connected to additional resources from reporting tools to legal referrals.

That’s why we’re here. Workplaces challenges are universal. Support to navigate them should be too.

One year ago, I sent a file to print — 60 fliers I’d thrown together to test an idea. The idea had been sparked by a question: why wasn’t there an easily accessible resource for people facing work challenges?

As Empower Work began reaching people, we found what was tough for people varied widely — microaggressions, ethical decisions or questions, run-ins with managers, gaslighting, bullying, sexual innuendo, difficulties managing up, being sidelined or worked around, job transitions, harassment, discrimination…the list went on.

The Empower Work approach is based on researched-backed best practices in coaching and counseling. Our peer counselors go through a robust application, screening, and training where they learn to hold space to discuss what people are facing and ask succinct, informed questions that help people go from feeling backed into a corner with no options, to multiple pathways ahead of them. If needed, we connect people to additional resources ranging from legal information to meditation apps. All of our resources are vetted in line with our mission — free, accessible, inclusive.

Shannon Lubetich’s story about Snap highlights not just problems with culture and diversity, but the lack of resources available for employees. People face myriad toxic workplace situations across a broad spectrum including, but by no means limited to, bullying, microaggressions, power imbalances, harassment, unethical practices, gaslighting, and discrimination, to name a small subset. These situations are so prevalent, employees will almost certainly face at least one, if not a combination, while they’re in the workforce. What’s not certain is whether they’ll get the support they need to address these situations as they arise. Empower Work is here to provide that workplace support.

Last week, I noticed this popular Forbes video and article making the rounds on LinkedIn. It had accumulated nearly two thousand likes and donned a compelling title: ‘4 Ways to Manage a Difficult Boss.’ But there’s inherent risk in oversimplified recommendations. Issues in the workplace are rarely black and white, and context matters.

Those important details can help shape decisions and next steps. When it comes to challenges in the workplace — whether it’s a conflict with a manager, toxic work environment, or job transition — people need the space to reflect on their situation.

Empower Work provides this space. Anyone facing a work issue can reach out via text and be connected with a trained peer counselor within minutes. Rather than give advice, our goal is to help people reflect — and ultimately find a next step that feels right for them.

Every day, across every workplace in America, people face challenges that don’t necessarily fall into a legal category. Instead, they fall into a vast gray area where solutions are rarely black and white. Empower Work is a new resource that fills this gap by putting employees first. We provide free, anonymous, and immediate support for people facing non-legal work issues. Our approach is rooted in inquiry and empathy. We provide the space to talk about your experience and work toward an outcome that feels right to you. Our goal is for people to leave the conversation feeling empowered with the tools and support they need to move forward.

We’re excited to announce a partnership with Omidyar Network to reach more people across the tech industry with our immediate, anonymous text support for challenging work situations.

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Tech and Society Solutions Lab is a new effort that draws on the organization’s long-standing belief in both the promise of technology to create opportunity and social good, as well as concern about negative outcomes that can result from this innovation.

I still remember the red fibers on the carpet of the hotel room in Chicago when a friend shared her salary. I was 29, my friend was a few years older. On Equal Pay Day, it’s critical that we each do what we can to make workplaces more equitable. April 10th marks how far into the year on average women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.

Empower Work volunteers support people as they grapple with some of their biggest challenges at work. Sometimes that might mean navigating a difficult conversation with a boss; other times it might mean weighing the pros and cons of leaving a job. Hear why you might want to volunteer from Jennifer Habig Ph.D., Empower Work Board Member, and a coach, consultant, and trainer in leadership and organizational development.

This week, Empower Work received a game-changing $100,000 donation from the Pineapple Fund. The fund was started by an anonymous donor, “Pine,” who is making “bold, smart bets that hopefully impact everyone in the world” by giving away $86 million in Bitcoin.

Pineapple Fund’s transformative gifts to 30+ organizations have been highlighted by the New York Times, CNBC, Mashable not just for the impact, but for the intriguing new way that cryptocurrency is influencing philanthropy. Pine’s contribution is our largest individual gift to date — and our first Bitcoin donation.

It’s a powerful reminder of how a seemingly simple moment can be a turning point, and that’s core to our mission.

It's Time to Reshape How We Support and Empower People at Work.

At Empower Work, we’ve been in semi-stealth mode testing a new model — free, immediate, anonymous support via text or web chat. Empower Work’s focus is truly on people. As a mission-driven nonprofit, we’re not trying to sell to your company’s HR or make a profit. Any revenue goes back to ensuring we remain free and accessible. Because of the scale of the problem, our approach focuses on both sides of the conversation.

Hear from Jennifer Habig Ph.D, who has been an executive coach, consultant, and trainer in the areas of leadership and organizational development for over 15 years. She has launched executive coaching programs in multiple countries, worked with clients like T-Mobile and Intel, and supported countless friends and family members through tough work situations, and has joined Empower Work training other peer counselors.

“When I started volunteering with Empower Work — an organization that provides free, anonymous, text or web chat for people facing challenges at work — I was looking for a way to use my skills to support underserved populations, people who may never have access to a coach, mentor or support at work.”