Empower Work: more equitable pathways to opportunity

Empower Work is on a mission to create a healthy future of work where people are supported, valued, and empowered. We believe that when people thrive at work, communities, companies, the economy, and our democracy, thrive. To reach that, we need to dramatically shift cultural norms and expectations within workplaces. And we need to radically transform how we support people at critical, opportunity-altering moments.

Our approach fuels positive change in three key ways: 

1. Our text line provides immediate, confidential support for under-represented and under-resourced workers, with emotional and economic outcomes that keep them on an opportunity pathway,

2. Our trained peer counselors utilize their training and skill development in thousands of U.S. workplaces, and 

3. Aggregate, anonymous data and storytelling from the conversations can inform new approaches, tools, trainings, and policies and change narrative norms for systemic workplace change.

Jobs are core to opportunity. Yet research shows that workplaces are not working for most Americans. From wage stagnation to rocketing stress levels, workers are on the edge. Over 95% of working Americans report experiencing at least one extraordinarily adverse work situation. Unfortunately when faced with one, over 80% of working Americans lack a trusted place to turn. 

Research shows that under-represented and under-resourced workers are not only more likely to face adverse situations, they’re less likely to have support, resulting in calling in sick (often unpaid), leaving a job with no next job, taking a pay cut, or leaving an industry altogether. This has a negative ripple effect across people’s lives, exacerbating inequality.

Empower Work is the first confidential, third-party support ensures people make it to solid job opportunities, and have support through them.

As we look to a future of work where new skills and opportunities are laid out, we need to ensure that every worker has the support to thrive. We provide a unique, accessible resource so workers can discuss job searches, challenging moments, and a path forward, ensuring they stay on a path to success.

Since 2018, Empower Work has moved thoughtfully from concept to national reach, supporting 3,200+ workers across every industry. We're growing on average 15-25% of people served every month, and on track to break 250,000 messages exchanged in the coming months. 

We support under-represented and under-resourced workers as they face barriers, particularly those new to the workforce. We hear 'the only' a lot. Over 76% of texters identify as women; 56% as a person of color; 17% LGBTQIA; and 54% in the first 10 years working. Overwhelmingly texters express financial vulnerability with 40% in lower wage jobs. 

We’ve trained volunteers across the U.S., who use their skills supporting workers through our line and in their workplaces, impacting an additional 6,500+ people. We’ve partnered with 26 national groups from Year Up to Tech Ladies to Gladeo to support their communities to success. And we’re just getting started.

We are deeply attuned to our population's needs. Before we started, we did deep research with communities to explore needs and barriers. Empower Work's approach is based on that research and informed in an ongoing way through feedback from our community, partners, advisors, Board, and most importantly, users.

Empower Work addresses a critical gap and is a complement to many existing resources. We blend emotional and tactical coaching, reaching workers on a bus, or a breakroom via SMS or chat. Trained peer counselors provide a discrete, immediate space to process. They guide the texter in exploring the larger context, evaluating options, and identifying a next step. In some cases that may be walking through the specifics of a job interview, in others it may be clarifying a goal around a performance plan. In others, discussing microaggressions with a manager.

Over 90% of texters say that after engaging with Empower Work they both feel better and, within a few weeks, take an action that results in an outcome they want (e.g., reporting a coworker for harassment, getting a pay raise, finding a new job). A significant impact for a timely intervention. And more than 96% of volunteers say they learn new skills they bring back to their workplaces.

We designed Empower Work to address needs unmet by current approaches. Over 40M workers are in companies with fewer than 100 employees. Existing products are either tied to a company willing and able to pay or unaffordable. Workforce development case management times out.

In our research, 80% of working Americans didn't trust or didn't have access to a company resource. Many experienced uncertainty about where their issue fell -- not serious enough to report, not mental health, and deeply personal. There's a huge gray area filled with significant issues from bullying to fear of job loss that till now, has not had available support.

We provide a unique combination of emotional and tactical assistance, building on best practices in coaching, and connecting a constellation of resources if needed (e.g. EEOC reporting or local legal aid).

In our initial research, 95% of workers have experienced an incredibly adverse situation. 80% had nowhere to turn. Ours along other others such as PEW and Kapoor shows cumulative impact of not having support as workers leave jobs with no next job, take pay cuts, and leave industries altogether.

We have a key assumption based on initial research, two years of data, and research in the larger space that timely, connective support that blends emotional and tactical support can lead to an increase in retention in the workforce, skills, wages and well-being. We see results of that in our post-use surveys and in follow up. 

Recently, a texter from two years ago reached back out to say she's in the best place in her career, thanks to Empower Work.

We've served 3,200 people to date and are currently growing 15-25% every month. 

Over 40M working Americans lack access to resources. Most are on the opportunity cusp. Empower Work ambitiously plans to support 3M under-represented, opportunity-cusp workers within the next 5 years, transforming both emotional and economic outcomes including increases in wages and wellbeing; training thousands of volunteers that leverage their training to change their workplaces to impact tens of thousands more, and opening our data and working with researchers to shift systemic change.

We support workers across all 50 states in the U.S.

Our team includes a diverse group of board members, advisors, volunteers, contractors, and paid staff. Our advisors and board members include issue area expertise in workforce development, organizational psychology, training design, UX research, HR, and legal as well as lived experience with work challenges. The full list is available here: https://www.empowerwork.org/board-and-advisors/

Our work is not possible without our impactful volunteer base of peer counselors. Many are first generation to go to college or join an industry. All are motivated to help others because of a personal an understanding of the need for workplace support.

We partner with a variety of national and local organizations that train workers or provide community and network for underrepresented workers. Partners share and promote Empower Work's free, immediate text line as a resource—expanding the support they provide already. Empower Work shares aggregate insights so that jointly we better support their communities.

Read a partner insight from YMCA Bayview.

Empower Work is built on:

1. Generous philanthropic support from institutions and individuals who believe in building a better future of work that’s healthier, more equitable, and where workers are truly valued.

2. Volunteers who dedicate their time, energy, and resources to support people. Some volunteers have employers that match hours volunteered with financial contributions, providing additional financial support. Others work at companies that cover training and volunteer support. Some volunteers use their professional development funds to defray the cost of training so that we can train and support even more volunteers.

3. Texters who pay-it-forward. Many people who use us find such value, they donate what they can to ensure others at critical moments have a resource.

4. Revenue from training and partnerships. We offer robust training programs to build collective skills in listening, coaching, and management. We also offer our support to communities, trade associations, and networks.

5. Pro-bono and discounted services and products. We benefit from donated technology products to public service announcements (PSAs).

We're at a unique inflection point, ready to scale. Winning $100,000 would help us invest in our outreach, platform, and training, unlocking an ability to serve 2X more people in 2020. In addition, tapping into skilled-based support from ServiceNow team members would help us strategically explore opportunities to improve our service flow delivery and workflows - everything from onboarding and training new volunteers to texter interactions.