Carbonating Change: Pepsi’s WOC ERG is a Refreshing Example of True Inclusion in the Workplace
By Abby Kreckel
Mother’s Monday recently sat down with members of the PepsiCo Women of Color Employee Resource Group (ERG) to learn about the community they’ve built within the PepsiCo organization, and the broad suite of benefits that have improved their lives. Known among corporate America as a standout example of what an ERG can be, the Women of Color ERG has lessons for all employers and employees.
“Women of color are tired,” says Erica Booker, Director of Digital Transformation at PepsiCo Foods North America. She’s been at PepsiCo for over three years. Not only do women of color feel weighed down by both gender and racial inequity, but there’s huge pressure from inside and out to minimize their identities. It’s stressful to balance dodging micro-aggressions and constantly “code-switching, so as not to be too ‘of color’ and feed into a stereotype” that diminishes their voices and expertise. “Women of Color, especially those in caregiver roles, are burnt out.”
No individual holds just one identity, and the membership of the Women of Color ERG are an outstanding example. Women of color span a broader range of other identities across the PepsiCo workplace, from different “ethnicities, orientations, abilities, generations, veteran statuses, origins, and walks of life.” According to Booker, this makes the WOC ERG uniquely positioned to elevate the intersectionality of our identities, and lead allyship initiatives that strengthen not just the company culture, but all employees as individuals. “This representation makes our collaborations and partnerships that much stronger, growing and sharing our messages across boundaries.” PepsiCo doesn’t just foster a space for this collaboration, but actively boosts it.
The intersection of identity and caregiving shines bright in this ERG. Mother’s Monday has identified and encouraged a growing trend in corporate DEI initiatives to educate leaders on the unique needs and struggles of caregivers. Without inclusion efforts, misconceptions about the capabilities of caregivers poses risks such as losing out on promotions, unjustly negative performance reviews, or even being let go. The ripple effects of this kind of discrimination lasts a lifetime, and this inequity is only amplified among women and people of color. Nothing short of intentional, diligent change can fix this. “In many cases,” Booker says, “the stereotypes and expectations of women as caregivers still result in incorrect assumptions about women’s capability at work, reinforcing their tendency to just press on, not to speak up or ask for help.” Whether spoken aloud or exhibited through internal biases, stereotypes about caregivers persist in leadership and hold companies back from their full potential.
PepsiCo offers comprehensive benefits to both support caregiver employees and those looking to start a family. Jillian Latimore, a Senior HR Manager at PepsiCo, singled out benefits that have meant a lot to her both in her career and personally. “The mental load is huge,” she says of the intersection of career and caregiving. With PepsiCo covering the cost of a premium Sitter City concierge, Latimore didn’t need to do extensive Google and local Facebook group research on the going rate for sitters, or which certifications were most important. The concierge ultimately handed her a list of four pre-interviewed, “cream of the crop” candidates to choose from.
Latimore’s job often requires travel, which can be a huge source of stress for caregivers. One moment stuck out to her most from her time as a new mom. “I had meetings in Vegas and kept a strict pumping schedule. Being a breastfeeding, working parent wasn’t an inconvenience, it was surrounded by a network of active support. My manager actively supported my breastfeeding journey, and encouraged me to use PepsiCo’s Milk Stork benefit, a service that takes the logistical worries off a nursing parent’s plate, express packing and shipping breastmilk home no matter where in the world they travel. This was especially meaningful in the midst of a formula shortage, knowing my daughter wouldn’t be impacted at all by my work travel.”
For U.S. employees, assisted reproductive services (e.g., IVF), egg freezing, surrogacy assistance and adoption assistance are all covered, up to a lifetime maximum benefit of $35,000. This can be life-changing — and life-creating. “There are many employees at PepsiCo who would not have the families they do if it weren’t for these benefits.” In this way, PepsiCo’s benefits are written into a family’s story, a powerful impact on the present and on future generations. According to Latimore, “with women of color specifically, we’re doing all the things, we’re building successful careers, we’re raising our families, we want to make sure our aging parents are supported. There’s a huge load women of color carry mentally and emotionally that we bring with us to work, and these benefits are a way to lift this heavy load.”
The Women of Color ERG has been a part of PepsiCo for at least 15 years, and momentum for change is growing at all levels of the company. In 2006, PepsiCo set a goal to achieve gender parity in management roles by 2025. Today, more than 44% of women are represented in management roles around the world. PepsiCo set a goal to increase representation of women and people of color in managerial roles to mirror the workforce availability of the communities where it operates. Referred to as the “broken rung at the first step up to manager” by the McKinsey in the Women in the Workforce 2022 report, women, gender minorities, and people of color are being promoted at far lower numbers than cis white men, even as women are more skilled and educated than men. One of the key ways to fight this nonsensical inequity is to challenge stereotypes across the organization, and actively work to challenge company culture to ensure that leadership is representative of society as a whole. PepsiCo is leading the way on not only promising to make difficult changes, but putting in the work to make it happen.
One of PepsiCo’s primary cultural behaviors (The PepsiCo Way) is to Voice Our Opinions Fearlessly, yet too often, the burden to speak out is laid on the laps of those most saddled by inequity. According to Booker, at PepsiCo, the need for a top-down change is recognized by leadership, starting with support for ERGs like Women of Color. “Our leadership has responded with support by championing and participating in our event programming, socializing our agenda, and encouraging participation from their teams. The best advocacy goes beyond baseline allyship to sponsoring the WoC agenda, our programming, and our people.” Latimore agrees. “I’m really really proud to work for a company that not just says all the right things, but takes action to back it up.”
What about those of us who don’t have an ERG to find solidarity and advocate for our needs? Booker has advice. “Be bold and unapologetic. Have a vision and walk in your purpose. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.”
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Abby Kreckel is a Content Manager for the Mother’s Monday Movement.