Female Bosses Face a New Bias: Employees Refusing to Work Overtime
Research shows workers don’t expect them to insist on long hours, exposing a leadership challenge.
In December 2019, a scandal erupted at Away, a luggage maker known for hard-shelled suitcases. Disgruntled workers at the company, then just four years old, complained publicly about working conditions, spurring a media investigation, which found that employees were expected to put in long hours, avoid taking vacation time during busy periods, answer messages on nights and weekends, and prioritize customer needs above all.
Broadly speaking, these are common—albeit imperfect—norms at many startups. “A startup is not a 9-to-5 job, period,” says Leslie Feinzaig, founder and chief executive officer of the women-focused venture firm Graham & Walker LLC. “These companies move fast and grow fast, and anyone who goes to work at one should expect a quick-moving environment, and like a challenge.”