In the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, one of the issues that has come to the fore is the lack of safe workplaces for women. In a survey conducted last year, 54% of women polled reported they had been harassed at the workplace. And this is a global issue.
A recent survey on Safe Places to Work, conducted by Rainmaker, an online learning and content company focused on creating ethical workplaces, saw Cactus Communications emerge as one of the top 10 safe places to work.
The survey, aimed at evaluating organizations in India on the degree of safety and inclusiveness they provide to their women employees, was taken by 5,682 women employed in over 50 organizations across multiple industries, verticals, and cities in India. Based on the overall score, 12 organizations in India were certified as safe places to work. The results were announced on November 6, 2019, at the People Matters L&D Conference organized by People Matters in collaboration with Rainmaker.
Cactus Communications, which is one of the top 25 Great Places to Work in Asia, is known for its people-focused policies, including flextime working, work-from-home options, extended maternity leave, embrace of diversity, inclusiveness, promotion of ethical conduct at the workplace, and promotion of work-life balance. Co-founder and CEO Abhishek Goel said, “When we started CACTUS, we set out to create a place where people will be happy coming to work. That included a culture of inclusivity, respecting diversity, and safety. This should be the norm. No woman should feel unsafe at work and, hopefully, in time to come, this will no longer be something that needs to be surveyed.”
With women comprising around 54% of the workforce at CACTUS, safety and inclusiveness for women have always been high among the organization’s priorities. Yashmi Pujara, Chief Human Resources Officer at CACTUS, sees the ranking as a testament to the organization’s strong commitment to safeguarding the interests of women in the organization. “Being chosen among the top companies 10 in India in a ‘safe places to work’ study is a celebration of a culture built on values of mutual respect and acceptance. It is a matter of pride and privilege to have been a part of this journey,” says Pujara.
Pujara feels that workplaces need to do more to ensure that women feel safe. “The recent reports of workplaces being unsafe and unfair to women have been concerning, but I’m happy that CACTUS has been found to be one of the few safe havens. We will continue to provide a safe, comfortable workplace for all our employees not just in India but in all our global offices,” adds Pujara.
Reference: Great Places to Work survey 2019: http://bit.ly/2oaAUot