It's giving…corporate Christmas party 🪩

'Tis the season of the work festive dos! Do you love it or dread it?

At its best, it's an opportunity to bring everyone in the team together for some fun and social time away from work. But at its worst? We all know it can get messy.

Our tips?

1️⃣ Remember it's a work event, still. Don't get carried away.

2️⃣ Keep it inclusive always. Make sure the event works for everyone.

3️⃣ Provide some structure for the occasion, and don't make it mandatory.

Kick off the party with our latest TikTok featuring our resident character actor, Yani, and her many alter egos 👀

Thank you for your support over the past year, we'll see you in 2024!

- Cressida (Head of Content)

QUICK FIRE NEWS 🧨

😠 Dangerous AI "undresses" women without consent

💔 Benjamin Zephaniah, poet and anti-racism campaigner, dies at 65

🗳️ Next UK election to be most unequal in 60 years

🎯 Woman conceived via rape helps convict her birth father

🎤 Adele admits being white helped her career

🗣️ Ugandans challenge anti-homosexuality act

LET'S GET INTO IT 🤓

There are no ❌ stigma-free abortions, even in 'progressive' countries

What do you mean? This piece in Vice News gives an account of procuring an abortion in the Netherlands, known for some of the most progressive abortion laws. You can access an abortion up to 21 weeks after conception, or 24 weeks if the mother's health is at risk. Interestingly, the rate of abortions in the Netherlands is well below the average found in other countries where abortion is less accessible. This makes it clear that restricting access to abortions does not result in less abortions.

What happened in this case? There is a silence around abortions that can be difficult to navigate. Maud wanted to discuss her options openly, but 69% of people in the Netherlands have hardly ever spoken about abortion with anyone.

It was 2020 and Maud had to quarantine in her room to access the abortion clinic. Abortion pills could not be mailed. On her own, she struggled with guilt and shame, and this continued after her abortion. A huge ordeal both physically and emotionally, she struggled with pregnancy hormones, the changes in her body, the pressure, and stress.

This all happened in one of the most progressive countries for accessing an abortion in the world, serving as a reminder that even where the laws have caught up to female autonomy, social norms and stigmas certainly have not.

An alternative to mandatory work socials 👀 Interested?

Fancy getting paid for your work social? A compliance software company in the US is taking an innovative approach to work socials. Instead of mandatory events organised by leadership, they are giving more freedom to the employees. They have re-allocated what budget they would normally spend on office space to fund employees hanging out, in whatever shape that might take.

Wait, how does that work? They will reimburse employees up to $100 a month for socialising with colleagues. "Hit the bar for drinks after work, enjoy a Broadway play, run to the nail salon for a mani/pedi, rent kayak" - all fall under the employee engagement budget. The idea is that whenever colleagues get together, work is inevitably discussed. This way, employees can foster good relationships whilst enjoying an activity that suits them, rather than the 'forced fun' trap orgs often fall into.

We certainly think its an interesting solution to team building in a remote-first company. Could it be more effective at replicating that organic water cooler talk? 🤔

Conversion therapy is still happening in almost every U.S. state

How? Conversion therapy - the act of trying to change someone's sexuality or gender identity - is banned in 22 states. However, a new report by The Trevor Project has found that it is still widely practiced with over 1,300 practitioners identified who still offer it.

There is a misconception that the practice of conversion therapy is effectively obsolete in our modern times, and perhaps this feeds into the lax attitudes taken to combat it. This new research demonstrates that the abhorrent practice is still a very real threat across the US, and undoubtedly beyond.

More than half of the practitioners identified in the report offer conversion therapy via religious organisations. Due to religious liberty protections, shockingly this means they are often exempt from state bans. This research is also limited to public information, meaning the actual number of people practicing conversion therapy is likely to be much higher, operating through more private means such as social media groups or word of mouth.

Donate to the Trevor Project

THIS WEEK WE'RE LOVING ✨

🥰 David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa, that's it

🛍️ Shopping ethically this Christmas

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