When one of the 900 hourly workers at Rent the Runway died, CEO Jennifer Hyman had to reckon with a harsh reality. The dead man’s coworkers, a close group that included some of his family members, couldn’t take time off to mourn his death or attend the funeral.
If they’d been among the company’s 300 salaried employees, it wouldn’t have been an issue. Their benefits included bereavement leave, paid parental leave and time off to care for sick family members, as well as invites to occasional company-wide beach or ski days.
