Chamber News Release

Does your workplace truly work for you? The Women's Council, a Greater Rochester Chamber affiliate is asking this question - and many others - in a brand new research study they are launching in just a few weeks. And we want to hear your voice reflected in the results.

There is no question that the state of work has changed before our very eyes over the past 18 months, and --at this stage-- will likely be changed forever. Change, though, reveals many truths - and we want to know:

• What does this shift mean for employers and employees?

• Is there a silver lining? And, if so, how can employers leverage that bright spot to initiate and sustain best practices that improve the lives of their employees?

Our curiosity was born of many things, starting with the Women’s Council board of directors finalizing a new 25-year vision and 3-year strategic plan in 2018. In it:

• We developed a long-plan vision for 2045 that vividly describes actively changing the landscape of women professionals in Rochester. We envision that women will make up at least one half of the region’s leadership, and that the proverbial boardroom includes more women and better reflects the greater community.

• We also see --within 25 years from now--  a region where women no longer need to talk about equality – in pay, in promotions, and in conditions at work overall.

How’s that for goals?!

Some progress is already being made. We know we’re not fully there yet as a community, and that, in some cases, we have a long way to go. The pandemic didn’t help our cause.

The research study we’re launching in a few weeks aims to understand where we’re starting from so that we can build actionable steps for holding companies and leaders accountable as we strive to achieve our vision. This study falls within one of our key focus areas of the Women’s Council being “at the forefront of the women’s equity movement.”

The State of Work in Greater Rochester study is available now. Please click here to complete it. We hope you’ll not only take the time to complete it, but also pass it along to your colleagues, mentors, bosses and friends. We are seeking broad representation in survey participants so that we have strong data to make decisions and offer guidance moving forward. The survey seeks participation from organizational leaders and their employees of all gender identities.

This was a big lift for us and we are excited! Special thanks to:

• Our project co-chairs, Carolyn Nussbaum of Nixon Peabody and Adrienne Morgan of the University of Rochester Medical Center and the School of Medicine & Dentistry;

• Our pro-bono research partners, KJT Group and Butler/Till (both women-owned companies in the region); and,

• Our dedicated committee of volunteers, which includes:

  • Andrea Holland, Holland Communications

  • Julie Marsiglio, United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes

  • Melissa Palmer, Butler/Till

  • Kate Pellett, Causewave Community Partners

  • Kathleen Pringle, Kathleen Pringle Group, Inc.

  • Stephanie Seiffert, Nixon Peabody

We look forward to sharing the results of this study with you and using those findings to fuel change for all employees across Greater Rochester. 

If you have any questions about the study, please reach out to Board President Kate Pellett at kpellett@causewave.org.