Workin’ 9 to 5
What a way to make livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’
You know this great Dolly Parton number from 1980, but it’s not a stand-alone song. In 1980, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton starred in 9 to 5, where they dealt with a boss who was a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” by kidnapping him, holding him hostage, and revamping office policies.
Oops, I hope I didn’t spoil it for you, but you’ve had 43 years to see it. While on a transatlantic flight to give a keynote address, I rewatched this film, and I was shocked at two things: One, how well it’s held up over the years, and two, why haven’t we learned anything about managing in 43 years?
Here’s what these three ladies accomplished in 6 weeks and how far we still have to go.
Making the office inviting
The boss in the movie, Franklin Hart (played by Dabney Coleman), didn’t allow any personal items, and everything was stark and white. While he was locked up at his house, Violet (Tomlin), Judy (Fonda), and Dora Lee (Parton) painted, allowed people to bring pictures and flowers, and rearranged to make it feel more friendly.
While it’s safe to say we’ve moved on from that (at least at most companies), we’re struggling now with a different kind of office problem. People want to work from home and CEOs want them back in the office. In 1980 working at home wasn’t an option, but it is now. Leaders need to look at what will really make employees more productive and happy. It will vary from industry to industry and job to job, but you need to listen to what your employees need.
Job sharing and flex time
Our heroines brought job sharing to the office. While part-time jobs are available everywhere, they are often entry-level jobs. And many people who work part-time wish they could work full-time.
For professional jobs, part-time is still an anathema. Job sharing can allow employees to maintain professional jobs and benefits both the employees and the companies. Women with small children often want to work part-time. Consider making this a possibility at your business.
Flex time is more popular today than ever, but we can still do better. There’s nothing morally superior about being a 9 to 5-er.
ADA accommodations
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) didn’t become law until 1990, but the writers of 9 to 5 (Patricia Resnick and Colin Higgins) saw the importance of reasonable accommodations 10 years earlier. Violet, Judy, and Dora Lee sent an alcoholic employee to rehab, changing her life, and hired a man in a wheelchair.
And yet, even though ADA has been the law for 33 years, companies still struggle to provide reasonable accommodations. This is not only the law; it’s basic common courtesy. The law doesn’t require you to go to outlandish and expensive efforts to support someone. It just requires reasonable accommodations.
Equal Pay
While the Chairman of the Board praised Hart (thinking he had done these things) for almost everything, he balked at the change for equal pay. Now, ironically, this one thing that was the law already in 1980, as discrimination on the basis of sex, has been illegal since 1964. (Not that it was done in practice in the 1980s.)
You need to run a regular analysis of your pay data to make sure everyone receives fair paychecks. If they aren’t, fix it today. You don’t want to end up like Goldman Sachs, who just had to pay out $215 million to settle a gender bias lawsuit.
It’s clear that we know what to do and have known for a long time. It’s just taking us forever to get there. Make sure your company is part of the solution.
This article originally appeared at Inc.