The She-Cession has receded, but another tsunami is hitting women.

"I can't do this."

Those were the piercing words shared by a mum on my team during our first team zoom call of 2022.

Her young child melting down in the background, while struggling with online learning.

The emotion that flooded us all watching her struggle and sob was heartbreaking.

Coming into 2022, we all thought things would be different, yet the realities of the pandemic persist and what we have learned as leaders about how to lead with compassion and give people hope is more important now than ever.

While the pandemic is defined in "waves" – the impact on women, mums in particular, continues to be a tsunami.?

At the onset of the pandemic, the number of women dropping out of the workforce was alarming,?women accounted for 62.5% of overall unemployment?(Stat Can, 2020).

With the great re-assessment and companies struggling with labour shortages almost two years later, women have returned to pre-pandemic employment levels. Still, we should be careful to find comfort in that alone.

The mental impact persists.

Women spend a higher share of their time engaged in work at home, on average, 3 hours and 44 minutes, compared with an average of 2 hours and 28 minutes for men. As schools and daycares open and close, mothers - especially those with school-aged or younger children - women are being crushed under the demands of work, caring for sick kids, and schooling from home.

And according to a?December 2021 OECD?report, mothers were nearly three times as likely as fathers to say they took on most or all of the additional unpaid care work caused by school and childcare closure.

An April 2021 poll by the?Canadian Women's Foundation, found almost half of mothers were "reaching their breaking point." And that was before the pressures of the holidays and the latest round of school closures.

As a mother of two kids ages 12 and 15, I know the feeling of being at my breaking point, and even so, I can't imagine how mums with children under 12 are coping.

So to all the women and mums out there at Walmart Canada and beyond. I want you to know the following:

• There is a light at the end of this tunnel. Though it may be hard to see, there will be a day where COVID is endemic, schools open without being unexpectedly closed, and the worry that we all carry with us about how to keep ourselves and our families safe will subside.

The impossible is just that impossible. No one expects you to do the impossible. Don't expect it from yourself.

• You are not alone. There are people out there who can and want to help. Let yourself ask for help, and don't be shy to ask for what you need. You are no less capable, no less promotable, and no one is going to hold it against you.
• Compassion is a superpower. We need self-compassion, compassion with our kids who are also struggling, and compassion for each other. Extending grace can be a lifeline to someone who can't see the light at the other end of the tunnel. Give yourself, and others grace generously.
• Know yourself. Know the signs of anxiety, burnout and when you need help. You have to put your oxygen mask on first. It's okay not to be okay.

Knowing that people are still struggling with the direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic is why we'll continue our mission to transform the conversation at Walmart Canada by putting well-being first.??

To truly be a family-friendly employer that promotes associates' mental health and well-being, we need to continue pushing forward at a rapid pace by transforming the conversation and our offerings.??

Here are some of the ways we are doing that:?

Walmart Canada has enhanced our Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave Program to provide additional paid time off.??

We have extended our coverage from six weeks of paid time off to providing up to 20 weeks of paid time off. In addition, we have introduced gradual return-to-work for up to eight weeks to help our associates ease back into work as they sort our parenting needs and their own self-care. If both parents are Walmart associates, they can both participate in the program.??

This is one of the ways we're putting families first.

We continue to drive for gender parity at all levels. I am proud that the representation of women in offices, stores and distribution centres at Walmart Canada has increased at every level — a hugely rewarding result. We've surpassed some of our gender parity goals for 2021-22, and we've achieved gender parity for assistant store managers ahead of our target.??

?We continue to stand for and ensure pay equity. At Walmart Canada, I'm proud that we pay our associates equitably regardless of gender. We conduct internal and external audits annually to ensure gender pay parity is one way we differentiate ourselves as an employer.??

?And we're not stopping there.?

We are educating 1000 leaders in mental health first aid in partnership with the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Ensuring we have educated and equipped leaders to support a mental health crisis.

We're also offering more inclusive counselling. We know how important it is to have the right counsellor to help you through difficult moments in your life. That's why our providers are offering specialized, inclusive counselling upon your request, which includes counselling in gender and sexual identity, race and ethnocultural, language and faith. This is entirely free to all associates and their dependents.??

I genuinely believe we're on the right path, albeit at the beginning stages, as we create a ripple effect to spark change.??

Because I don't want to go back to "normal." where women are in the workforce but struggle in silence.?

Because our colleague who said "I can't do this" deserves nothing less.

I want well-being to be the new norm.

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