How I Did It: Avow’s Aimee Arrambide on offering benefits that reflect our values
Aimee Arrambide
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Website: prochoicetexas.org
Social: Avow’s twitter and Aimee’s twitter, Facebook, Instagram
One of your favorite nonprofits that everyone should give to: Avow Texas
ReproJobs: You’re the new executive director at Avow and we’ve heard you’ve made some huge changes in your tenure, including radically shifting the benefits the organization offers employees. Can you talk about what those are?
Aimee Arrambide: It was my goal upon starting this job to make sure the staff was whole. It is my theory that if staff are the center of the work, and are given the tools, resources, and time to take care of themselves, that they will flourish in their work, which leads to the organization flourishing, and the movement succeeding. We drafted an employee manual incorporating my ideas and input from the staff that is currently awaiting board approval. Some of the benefits included are employer-paid health, dental, vision, STD, LTD insurance, retirement match of 3%, flex time with core hours, remote working, unlimited paid time off, a three-month paid sabbatical after five years, six-month paid family leave, a $3,000 abortion stipend per year.
RJ: Six-month paid leave! Wow! This is amazing! The best in our movement as far as we know. And you have an abortion stipend! What exactly is that?
AA: Because there is no public coverage of abortion in Texas, the organization will cover up to $3,000 a year on the procedure for staff or staff family members who have no other avenue to get this funding.
RJ: Unlimited vacation?! How the hell did you do that? What does that look like policy-wise and how do you ensure employees actually use it? We’ve heard the critique of an unlimited vacation policy is that employees are often too bogged down with work to actually take any of the time off.
AA: We made the decision to implement it. It was as simple as that. We also incorporated taking PTO per quarter as mandatory. Employees request days off from their supervisor and the executive director which will almost always be approved. Exceptions may occur when multiple people request the same time off during the busiest times of our work, but that has yet to happen.
RJ: What made you tackle this issue so early into your tenure?
AA: My past employment experiences and employment policies shaped what I wanted to prioritize in my position and provide my staff. In the past, I have loved my jobs and the work, but because I did not have policies supporting my life choices I became disenchanted quickly. For example, when my family’s self-imposed deadline came about to decide whether or not to grow our family, our decision was influenced by not having paid family leave. We chose not to expand our family and that was the largest influencing factor. In a movement that advocates for the autonomy and the resources to make decisions around having a family, to me this was unacceptable.
RJ: Some organizations say they cannot make these changes because it’s costly or too hard to do. What do you say to them?
AA: You have to prioritize these changes in your budget. I chose not to grow the organization or programmatic work until I was able to implement the policies that would make my staff supported in all aspects of their life. After determining what these policies were and how much they would cost, I created a budget that incorporated the cost of these policies. Then I sought funding for them. What I found was that asking for the money, making the case on why it was necessary, and providing evidence that when staff are taken care of, the work actually flourishes, was easy. The status quo accepts overworking, underpaying, and undervaluing the people in this movement, resulting in burnout. We have accepted that for so long as the price we have to pay for doing something we love that is important. And that is not okay. We need to actively make the decision not to accept the status quo and commit to changing the system.
RJ: What about this process was the most challenging? What was surprisingly easy?
AA: The most challenging part has been pushing back against external influences, internal influences, and my own desire to focus on programmatic and organization growth without first implementing policies. Success has been measured for so long on those factors that I had to push back on what was expected and to focus on the vision I decided to prioritize. The surprisingly easy part was asking for the funding to do this. The message resonated with more people in positions of power over funding than I would have expected.
RJ: If someone were to overhaul the benefits at their organization like Avow did, where would they need to start? What resources would you recommend and what supports should they rely on?
AA: To do this, I asked allied and partner organizations to share their policies. ReproJobs has been a great resource, especially for data and articles supporting these policies. Once our policy is officially approved, I am also happy to share it with anyone who is interested. I think the more organizations that implement even some of these policies, the more we will demonstrate that it is possible and necessary for our movement and the individuals in it to thrive ultimately leading to success. I want it to have exponential reach and change the status quo.
RJ: What have you learned about yourself through your work?
AA: I have learned that being a leader isn’t always about how much experience you have or conforming to an external idea of what leadership is, sometimes it is about taking a chance, standing by your convictions, and most importantly it is about prioritizing the people you work with so that they can thrive.
RJ: What’s a professional development training you took that you’d recommend to others?
AA:
RJ: How do you wind down your workday?
AA: Watch fantasy TV or fantasy book, hangout with my kids and talk about their days, or hangout with my partner.
RJ: What do you do first to get your day started and organized?
AA: I look at my spreadsheet of tasks, look through my email, and look at my schedule.
RJ: What podcast are you into right now?
AA: Ologies
RJ: Which Harry Potter house are you in?
AA: I have been sorted into Hufflepuff!