he company has more than one location, representatives from different facilities should be included. This is not just a corporate headquarters problem.

The task force should also look outside the organization for examples of companies that have what are considered "best practices" in supporting women within the workforce. It’s important for the team to understand that this is not a finger pointing ex

Do you ever stop and wonder why women are leaving your company? Are you unsure how to stem the tide of women leaving corporate America? The simple fact behind the answer is senior management and employees are not on the same wave length. The appropriate policies are in place and every one uses the politically correct rhetoric yet the implementation of policies never seems to trickle down to those who are affected the most. The women employees know that policies, for the most part, are a joke and not taken seriously by the employer. There is a serious discrepancy in getting the "true" message to the right people. Here are some reasons why.

1) Lack of legitimate support for women at work

The Party Line: The company has developed a strong platform of supporting women in the workforce. The Reality: Women have not attained parity with in the organization.

The Solution: The company needs more than rhetoric. A legitimate plan of understanding the real issues and implementation of solutions needs to be devised.

Start by assembling a team that is representative of the women within the company. Collect a good balance between the most senior women executives (if there are any), those who are on a management track and women who are considered 9-5 employees (not serious career plans) yet are an integral component of the companies success.

This task force should address the following: What are the real issues that concern the women within the company? These issues should go beyond the obvious equal pay problems. Prioritize the list and understand that this is not a quick fix program. If the company has more than one location, representatives from different facilities should be included. This is not just a corporate headquarters problem.

The task force should also look outside the organization for examples of companies that have what are considered "best practices" in supporting women within the workforce. It’s important for the team to understand that this is not a finger pointing exe

ffected the most. The women employees know that policies, for the most part, are a joke and not taken seriously by the employer. There is a serious discrepancy in getting the "true" message to the right people. Here are some reasons why.

1) Lack of legitimate support for women at work

The Party Line: The company has developed a strong platform of supporting women in the workforce. The Reality: Women have not attained parity with in the organization.

The Solution: The company needs more than rhetoric. A legitimate plan of understanding the real issues and implementation of solutions needs to be devised.

Start by assembling a team that is representative of the women within the company. Collect a good balance between the most senior women executives (if there are any), those who are on a management track and women who are considered 9-5 employees (not serious career plans) yet are an integral component of the companies success.

This task force should address the following: What are the real issues that concern the women within the company? These issues should go beyond the obvious equal pay problems. Prioritize the list and understand that this is not a quick fix program. If the company has more than one location, representatives from different facilities should be included. This is not just a corporate headquarters problem.

The task force should also look outside the organization for examples of companies that have what are considered "best practices" in supporting women within the workforce. It’s important for the team to understand that this is not a finger pointing ex

ity: Women have not attained parity with in the organization.

The Solution: The company needs more than rhetoric. A legitimate plan of understanding the real issues and implementation of solutions needs to be devised.

Start by assembling a team that is representative of the women within the company. Collect a good balance between the most senior women executives (if there are any), those who are on a management track and women who are considered 9-5 employees (not serious career plans) yet are an integral component of the companies success.

This task force should address the following: What are the real issues that concern the women within the company? These issues should go beyond the obvious equal pay problems. Prioritize the list and understand that this is not a quick fix program. If the company has more than one location, representatives from different facilities should be included. This is not just a corporate headquarters problem.

The task force should also look outside the organization for examples of companies that have what are considered "best practices" in supporting women within the workforce. It’s important for the team to understand that this is not a finger pointing ex

e on a management track and women who are considered 9-5 employees (not serious career plans) yet are an integral component of the companies success.

This task force should address the following: What are the real issues that concern the women within the company? These issues should go beyond the obvious equal pay problems. Prioritize the list and understand that this is not a quick fix program. If the company has more than one location, representatives from different facilities should be included. This is not just a corporate headquarters problem.

The task force should also look outside the organization for examples of companies that have what are considered "best practices" in supporting women within the workforce. It’s important for the team to understand that this is not a finger pointing ex

he company has more than one location, representatives from different facilities should be included. This is not just a corporate headquarters problem.

The task force should also look outside the organization for examples of companies that have what are considered "best practices" in supporting women within the workforce. It’s important for the team to understand that this is not a finger pointing exercise but an opportunity to establish parameters for what policies they would like to see implemented within their organization. Seeing examples of other companies’ policies in action and the successful outcomes will go a long way toward establishing a benchmark for beginning a program Outside experts and resources should be called in to share their experiences and progress in implementing similar programs

2) Employees are a resource.

The Party Line: Our employees are our best asset.

The Reality: The employees come last in a series of current economic issues. This reflects the belief that employees can be easily replaced or are overlooked while other financial issues are addressed. This is so commonplace that companies feel like they can resolve the employee issue at a later date. The reality is their reputation is already damaged. Women simply don't want to work for them no matter how attractive the job offer.

The Solution: Invest in employees as an asset vs. a revolving door policy. Do that by supporting continuing education and training. Note: This does not mean telling every woman who wants to go into management that they need to go back to school to get a MBA (an all too prevalent practice as an excuse for not bringing women into the managerial pipeline).

Encourage active participation in professional associations. Paying dues, supporting meeting attendance and training programs should be carried out. I find many women end up paying their own expenses to industry events just to keep their skill sets current. Provide external development opportunities where women can be