The change we want to see starts with our own actions
Bench doesn’t work unless we create opportunities and build pathways for greater equity. Through our work, we are committed to building a more just and inclusive society.
And while we acknowledge that decades of injustices will not be undone by one company, we believe it is the actions of all of us, every single day, in every way that we can, that will usher in change. It is our mission to help enable each and every business owner to thrive in their chosen field. This is about continuously holding ourselves accountable for the role we play in systems where racism and discrimination exist.
Our DEI Strategic Pillars
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Pillar 1: We have a strong leadership foundation
Bench is composed of a diverse group of people—and increasingly so. We commit to cultivating and supporting inclusive leaders through targeted development programs and initiatives. By increasing the representation of inclusive leaders, we inspire organizational change and drive greater impact. We use specific metrics to evaluate leadership diversity and effectiveness, ensuring our journey towards greater inclusion is measurable and impactful.
Pillar 2: We have a strong cultural foundation
Our people are ultimately who Bench is. As a company with a vision to positively impact the world of business ownership, we foster a culture where our Benchmates both observe and actively participate in social impact initiatives within and beyond Bench. We continuously seek feedback and implement strategies to nurture this cultural foundation, ensuring everyone feels empowered and included.
Pillar 3: We have a strong systems foundation
We ensure that our DEI initiatives are supported by robust, scalable systems and frameworks. This includes well-defined policies, processes, and data-informed metrics to track progress and impact. By embedding DEI practices into our infrastructure, we are building for sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity.
Commitment Updates
Our commitment to creating systemic equity as a company
At Bench, we’re committed to the ongoing work of creating systemic equity as a company. Each quarter, we provide an update on the progress we’ve made, and where we’ve fallen short. This is not about patting ourselves on the back or virtue signaling. It’s about continuously holding ourselves accountable to make big changes in how we operate as a company—and how we play our part in effecting systemic equitable change.
January to March 2024
The Leadership team (XLT) participated in a workshop led by Karen Goodfellow, MTC (Astudia Facilitating). The training aimed to address the intersection of anxiety, trauma, change, and systemic patterns within the workplace. Through theoretical frameworks and practical discussions, we explored the impact of these factors on organizational dynamics and individual well-being. By the end of the workshop, each leader created three bold steps they could take to promote a culture of inclusivity, transparency, and effective communication, with a focus on embedding DEI principles into everything we do.
Our goal is to make Bench accessible and inclusive by empowering managers with the knowledge and tools to create a workplace that values and accommodates the needs of ALL Benchmates. Over the past few months, 97 managers have participated in three training sessions, covering topics such as Facilitating Inclusive Meetings, Navigating Difficult Conversations and Providing Feedback. We reached a completion rate of 65% and aiming to reach 100% after our busy tax season.
We are committed to cultivating a workplace that belongs to us all—and that includes creating visibility of celebrations and commemorations that are significant to our Benchmates.
Here’s what we got up to:
Black History Month
For Black History Month 2024, we celebrated the theme “ Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; Future to Build” by highlighting Canadian Black notable figures, organizations led by Black Women, Black History events in Canada, and educational resources. We also hosted a Black Excellence Game show focused on Black Culture with history, pop culture, fun facts, music and important figures.
Women’s History Month
For Women's History Month we hosted a fireside chat with some of our very own Women Bench Leaders from across the company. Our call to action was to encourage Benchmates to recognize women at work and support women owned businesses.
The DEI team engaged with BETA (short for Bench Employee Transformation Advisors), seeking valuable insights to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Bench. We aimed to understand both our strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring their input influences our DEI strategy 2024.
Bench, along with several other companies, participated in co-developing the curriculum for Tech Bootcamps facilitated by the Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IECBC) in 2022. In March 2024, Bench was awarded the Vision Award for our commitment to Immigrant inclusion.
The goal of the Tech Bootcamps is twofold, first to empower newcomers to adapt and upgrade their soft skills for the tech sector in Canada. Second, to use the findings to push for meaningful change in hiring and retention practices in the tech sector through employer learning materials and knowledge exchange sessions.
Last year, Bench took a significant stride forward with the addition of Sarah Hinkfuss (Partner at Bain Capital Ventures) to our Board of Directors! Sarah's unwavering commitment to empowering leaders with real-world expertise deeply resonates with our mission to help every business owner thrive. She’s also a mom, a self-declared cheese aficionado (Wisconsin represent!) and the first woman to join our board.
Gender Pay Equity
Since last quarter, our unadjusted pay gap increased from $0.20 to $0.21, while our adjusted pay gap remains steady at $0.03. What this data tells us is we have a small adjusted pay gap, but a sizable unadjusted pay gap. Meaning, women and men are paid almost equally for similar work, but there is unequal representation across Bench in high-paying roles.
Our Commitment to You
We will continue to provide quarterly updates on our progress towards creating systemic equity as a company. We owe that to you, the people who work here, and our community. Doing so holds us accountable, and ensures that we maintain momentum on this critical and ongoing journey. Thanks for being here with us.
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Accessibility Commitment
Bench is dedicated to accessibility and inclusion. We strive to ensure our digital platforms—web and mobile apps—are accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Through these commitments, Bench aims to foster an inclusive digital environment that accommodates all users, ensuring that our services are not only compliant with legal standards but also usable and beneficial to individuals with disabilities.
We are committed to a continuous process of assessment and improvement to address accessibility on our platforms. Our internal action plan includes 3 phases, and we are currently in phase 2:
- Phase 1: Continuous Compliance - Integrating regular accessibility checks into our development cycle to support ongoing commitment to accessibility standards and continual enhancement of user experience.
- Phase 2: Internal Audit - Conducting thorough audits using both automated tools and manual testing to identify and address any existing accessibility barriers within our client app.
- Phase 3: Remediation - Implementing necessary changes based on audit findings to enhance accessibility, with a focus on high-impact areas to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
We are committed to training our staff on accessibility standards and implementing inclusive design practices. This ensures that accessibility considerations are an integral part of our development and content creation processes.
We actively collaborate with accessibility experts, community members, and organizations to stay informed about advances in accessibility standards and technologies. This engagement helps us to implement the most effective solutions and to anticipate future needs.
Share Feedback:
We value the feedback from our users and key partners. We encourage communication through dedicated channels for reporting accessibility concerns, which helps us in prioritizing issues and making timely improvements. If you are experiencing any difficulties with content on www.bench.co or require assistance with accessing any part of our site or services, please contact us at accessibility@bench.co or 650-382-4694 during business hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. We will be happy to assist.
Resources
As America's largest professional bookkeeping service for small businesses, we are uniquely positioned to offer valuable resources to minority-owned businesses. This page will continue to be updated as we add more resources.
Programs, Grants, and Resources for Black-Owned Businesses
Black businesses disproportionately have less access to capital. Here are 7 different programs trying to address that inequality.
A Big List of Small Business Grants for Women* (2023)
If you’re a woman and own a business, you might be eligible for the small business grants listed in this article.
Business Grants and Resources for Minority-Owned Businesses
We've compiled the top financial relief resources for minority-owned small businesses in the United States.
*When we say women, we mean all women. Particularly trans, queer, BIPOC, and other women with intersecting identities.
We acknowledge that Bench headquarters is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.