International Women’s Day happens every 8th March and is dedicated to celebrating the achievements and contributions of women worldwide as well as striving for change.
At Wave, we’re committed to making every person feel valued, respected and empowered in their role. To us, equality in the workplace means giving women the tools, support and flexibility they need to excel in their career.
Our benefits
Did you know 76% of caregiving responsibility falls to women? We believe that our people are at their most productive and engaged when they’re not worrying about how to achieve the perfect work-life balance. As part of our extensive range of workplace benefits, we offer flexible working for all our employees. This enables parents, carers and anyone else with dependants to organise their work around their busy schedules, giving them the space to thrive both personally and professionally. Our 2023 Employee Benefits Survey has shown that having the option of hybrid working is one of the things that people love the most about working at Wave.
In addition to a flexible hybrid approach we also offer Family Friendly working, meaning our employees receive enhanced maternity and paternity pay alongside Parent Coaching sessions with our partner WishFish. These are designed to help parents prepare for parenthood and support them through the transition from work to home and vice versa. Through another of our partners, Wealth at Work, we’re also offering a financial wellbeing session tailored specifically for women in the workplace. The seminar will cover various aspects of women's finances including managing debt, making the most of your workplace pension and handling your wider family finances.
Our people and culture
It’s an unfortunate truth that women’s health can affect their roles, and ultimately, their careers. According to The Gen M Invisibility Report, 75-80% of women will experience perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, and only 1 in 5 women believe their employer is well-informed about the menopause. We wanted to change that, so we established, The Hot Flashes, our employee-led menopause group (with both female and male members) as well as bringing in external speaker Miss Menopause to educate our people on this often-stigmatised topic.
Following the huge success of the group, our women’s health group, Go With The Flow, was set up and regularly meets to discuss topics such as periods, PMDD and endometriosis, as well as others. Our aim is to remove the taboo around women’s health so all our colleagues can feel comfortable seeking information and assistance if they need it.
Recently we launched Wave’s Living Library, where employees have access to all our ‘human books’. These are people within Wave who have experience in anything from neurodiversity to infertility and are available to chat and shed some light on their chosen topic. The introduction of The Living Library is a positive step towards making Wave the most open and inclusive workplace possible.
Our learning and development
Learning and development is one of our core values at Wave, and we’re always looking for new ways to educate our people about more than just their roles. We have an extensive range of training courses on our learning platform, Absorb, covering a variety of topics such as cervical cancer, menopause, pregnancy and assertiveness for women. It’s our goal to ensure all our employees, no matter their gender, are equipped with the knowledge they need to succeed and to support their fellow colleagues.
In addition to online learning, some of Wave’s female directors, such as our CEO, our Director of SME Customers and our Director of HR, offer 1-on-1 coaching and mentoring sessions to the wider business. These sessions can cover anything from overcoming interview fears, giving presentations and career development. Our leadership team is committed to providing the best support and unlocking the most potential in our people.
We believe that every employee is valuable and when they’re given the tools to grow and thrive, this has a positive impact on the business too.
“Wave's really supportive when it comes to all things pregnancy and maternity. They're flexible for attending appointments, offer generous maternity pay and with my Westfield Health cover I received a bonus £50 after giving birth too! They're also really supportive when it's time to return to work, making sure nothing is too overwhelming.”
- Rachel, Marketing
"I often help female colleagues to gain confidence and overcome fears such as being interviewed or giving presentations as the ability to do these things can be instrumental in their career development. I mentor other women in the workplace to help them achieve their potential and have mentored an international female graduate through an external programme. All of these things will break down barriers, challenge stereotypes and increase the number of women into leadership positions."
- Jane, HR
“Go With The Flow doesn’t just support women by having an open, trusting environment to share unique journeys. We also build on one another’s experiences to provide support and guidance to the business. Our goal is to raise awareness and help break down any stigmas. There’s no better way to truly understand one another than to take the time to listen, ask questions, and build trusting, respectful communities.”
