Hi all,

One of the tips in Karen Catlin's 5 Ally Actions this week struck me as important and one that could be easy to do. The original content was from an event hosted by Johns Hopkins University, which Karen summarized for her subscribers.

She writes:

Leave loudly

At a recent book launch event for Fair Share, authors David Smith, PhD, and Brad Johnson, PhD, emphasized the importance of creating workplace cultures that encourage men to use caregiving benefits openly.

The goal? Make caregiving a visible part of work life rather than something employees feel they need to manage quietly.

Think about it. When you need to attend children’s school events, stay home to care for a sick family member, or take them to a healthcare appointment, do you try to slink away and hope no one notices? Or do you take the opportunity to “leave loudly” by letting colleagues know why you're heading out or will be unavailable?

Let’s send a message that prioritizing personal needs and utilizing flexible, family-friendly policies is okay (and frequently required).

We can be transparent about it on our calendar, with a Slack status, or via an automated email response. For example,

• Working remotely to care for a sick child.
• Leaving at 4pm today to coach youth basketball.
• OOO for a doctor’s appointment.
• Unavailable this afternoon for a family commitment.

When people see coworkers making room for caregiving, it becomes easier for others to do the same. So the next time you need to step away, consider leaving loudly.

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All the best,
Holly