CHANGES WE'RE MAKING AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE 

When we were forced to close our doors due to the pandemic, it gave us time to take stock of our company, culture, brand and mission. As we re-open our doors this Spring, we want to share the outcome of the work we’ve been doing. We know that it is just the beginning as we evolve and grow our company. We are committed to creating beautiful spaces where comfort, productivity and growth come together. We hope you will join us on this journey.

IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMUNITY

After an unprecedented year of uncertainty for our business, we are now charting a path forward. We recognize that we are just starting to communicate the changes we have made at The Wing and as part of our commitment to transparency and rebuilding, we want to directly address some questions that have come up from our members and community while we’ve been closed.

How have you supported your former employees after last year’s layoffs?

Do you require your employees to sign NDAs as part of separation?

Will the Wing be offering new pricing options?

How will The Wing uphold and enforce the Culture Code?

What are The Wing’s reopening plans?


OUR AREAS OF FOCUS FOR THE FUTURE

PRIORITIZING OUR TEAM CULTURE

We are prioritizing building a team culture that empowers, enriches and supports all of our team members with clear job descriptions, training and opportunity for professional career advancement.

We have a dedicated training and development team who have developed a comprehensive curriculum for all facets of our support business, including de-escalation and escalation protocols and reporting mechanisms.

We have changed our space operating model and our team member roles and responsibilities. We previously had several roles in our locations dedicated to specific tasks and functions that led to siloed work. We have updated our roles and responsibilities to ensure all employees are cross trained to do a variety of work and tasks, which in turn improves collaboration and creates an equitable division of labor.

We have created a digital learning and development tool kit that can be accessed anywhere. It consists of our Leadership Traits, designed to reinforce our values and create clarity about how to advance at The Wing. We have consistent and ongoing training for all team members that provide opportunities for advancement, along with coaching, training and tools to bolster skills.

We are committed to creating diversity in all levels of our organization and it begins with eliminating bias in our hiring and interview process. We are pleased to be working with Jopwell, a career advancement platform for Black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals to help us source talent.

We also offer above-market wages and a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off for vacations, sick time and a generous parental leave policy. Here is a list of the benefits we offer.

  • Medical, Vision, Dental Insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program, Including Mental Health Resources
  • One Medical Membership
  • Commuter Benefits
  • Personal Time Off
  • 14 Weeks Parental Leave
  • 401k Plan 
  • WFH Stipend (for those who are able to work remotely)
     

The Wing provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.


DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION IS FOUNDATIONAL

Over the past months, we have taken essential steps to accelerate our efforts to support a diverse, inclusive and equitable culture at The Wing. We commit to increasing the diversity of our leadership and executive teams and developing professional growth pathways for all of our employees. To help us, we have assembled an Advisory Board with leaders in various fields of expertise to provide guidance and assistance. Recently, we added Sheila Lirio Marcelo, an entrepreneur and diversity leader, as Executive Chairwoman and we will be adding more board members in the months ahead.

 

OUR ADVISORY BOARD

Our Advisory Board is composed of experts in various fields with diverse skills and experience. Reporting directly to the Executive Chairwoman and the Board of Directors, The Advisory Board will provide objective opinions and guidance related to our policies and programs, identify areas of improvement, and assess impact of policies. They will also engage in strategic dialogue and participate in discussions that will help shape the future of our organization.

We are pleased to announce our first Advisory Board members and will be adding more in the weeks ahead. 

OUR MEMBERSHIP PHILOSOPHY 

We are a membership-based service and our spaces are open to all.

 

OUR CULTURE CODE

In our ecosystem, we treat everyone with respect and we expect that members understand what we value and uphold a community standard that supports inclusion. We ask all of our team, members and guests to agree to this pledge to help us fight discrimination and bias. 

While I am at The Wing I agree that I will treat everyone I encounter, regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age—with respect, and without judgment or bias. 

  • I am responsible for treating my community with respect and dignity: I commit to treating people no less than how I want to be treated and respect defined rules and expectations.

  • I commit to actively examining unconscious bias, being self-aware and creating a space free from hate, abuse, harassment, or discriminatory behavior that allows others to show up fully as themselves.

The Wing is committed to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment.  In keeping with this policy, The Wing strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.


OUR MISSION

To reinvent space for the many versions of you by creating a sanctuary for productivity, creativity and inspiration.



OUR VALUES

SUPPORT EACH OTHER 

We believe that supporting each other and our members is ultimately about generosity and comes from a genuine desire to be helpful. We are aware and respectful of boundaries, striving to get to yes, but knowing it's ok to say no. We carry this focus into every interaction we have with our team and members, anticipating and responding to their needs.

PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION 

While we strive for excellence in all we do, we believe that real growth comes from learning along the way. We have the courage to be human and sometimes flawed, while we embrace the journey and move forward based on our learnings and growth.  

ACCOUNTABILITY  & OWNERSHIP

We are accountable and follow-through on our commitments and goals. We take ownership of our goals and initiatives and drive positive change. We take responsibility for our actions and how they affect other people, our team and our community. 

CULTIVATE WARMTH & DELIGHT

We believe there is a difference between politeness and warmth. Warmth comes from authentic interactions, personal attention and kindness. And that, in turn, sparks delight.

EVOLVE & ADAPT 

We embrace change as positive and critical for us to scale and grow. We develop a culture of agility, to pivot to changing market conditions, trends and shifting consumer demand. 

Sheila Lirio Marcelo
Executive Chairwoman, The Wing

Sheila is a Venture Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Prior to NEA, she founded Care.com in 2006 and served as Chairwoman and CEO until early 2020. With Sheila’s leadership since founding, the company had year-over-year growth of over a hundred percent prior to going public in early 2014 and was sold to IAC in early 2020. Today, Care.com is the world’s largest online destination for finding and managing family care—serving more than 35 million people across 20 countries.Marcelo graduated from Mount Holyoke College, which also conferred upon her an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2015. She received her J.D. and M.B.A. degrees with honors from Harvard University and, in 2014, was the youngest recipient of the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award.


Donna Byrd,
Advisory Board Member

Donna Byrd is the founder of Blue Butterfly, a digital startup that is reinventing the funeral planning process. She was the founding publisher of The Root, the #1 Black news source in the U.S, and helped launch five companies including ezgov.com, BlackAmericaWeb.com and Kickoff Marketing. She is a Henry Crown Fellow at The Aspen Institute and serves on the boards of The Bail Project, The Public Welfare Foundation, and the Hirshhorn Museum. Donna holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and received her B.A. from The University of Virginia.


Luvvie Ajayi Jones,
Advisory Board Member

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a two-time New York Times bestselling author and sought-after speaker who thrives at the intersection of comedy, justice and professional troublemaking. Luvvie connects with her audience through her curated social network, LuvvNation, where she is the go-to source for elevated conversations about all things buzzworthy. With over 14,000 members, it serves as a safe space for her thousands of community members in a dumpster fire world. Luvvie also connects with her fans through her social media accounts that have garnered over 850,000 followers combined. She has received numerous accolades including being chosen by Oprah Winfrey as part of her inaugural SuperSoul100 list as someone who “elevates humanity.” Her alma mater, the University of Illinois, honored her with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award and the Council of Urban Professionals presented her with their Breakthrough Award. Her work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, Forbes, Inc, Fortune, Essence, Chicago Tribune and more.


IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMUNITY

HOW HAVE YOU SUPPORTED YOUR FORMER EMPLOYEES AFTER LAST YEAR'S LAYOFFS?

The Wing, like so many other companies, had to lay off employees due to the pandemic. Without having definitive answers as to when we would be reopening our spaces, we approached these layoffs thoughtfully. Our goal was to create a generous package to support our former employees through severance, health benefits, and more.

We had two rounds of layoffs at The Wing in 2020, that impacted over 80% of the company in all departments and levels at The Wing. Below is a summary of the package that was provided to all employees who were laid off or left voluntarily:

  • Two months of severance pay and vacation pay accrued
  • Two months of healthcare paid in full 
  • One year of a One Medical membership
  • Contracted with Bravely to provide five outplacement sessions to support employees navigating the transition to a new role and the job market.

In addition, we took the following actions to help employees during the pandemic:

  • Founded The Employee Grant Relief Fund. The Wing contributed over $200,000 to the fund, which has been fully distributed to the 479 former employees who applied.
  • Provided one year of a TalkSpace membership, mental health counseling to give our employees the support to navigate the pandemic.
  • Held 24 hours of open office hours via Zoom for any former employees to join. 

Along with our existing team, we enlisted the help of outside expertise, through a platform called Paradigm, on DEI training and focused our efforts on enhancing culture and operational procedures.  The work we have done as a team has allowed us to move forward with important work including:

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training: The company went through a five-part anti-racism training with an outside DEI expert. The company continues this work through monthly DEI discussions to track progress and raise important topics.
  • Culture Code: We developed a new Culture Code that outlines our values and expectations for employees and members, which includes a conduct pledge as well as outlines our reporting mechanisms.
  • Operational Changes: Overhauled our operational model to improve training, update reporting mechanisms, and create equity in division of labor in our spaces. We also put in place a dedicated training team and protocols to address issues that arise on the job.
  • Commitment to Diversity in Hiring: As we begin to rebuild our staff, we have started working with Jopwell, a career advancement platform for Black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals, to help us source talent.
  • Established an Advisory Board: We set up an Advisory Board that reports directly to the Board of Directors to provide opinions and recommendations on various programs and initiatives at The Wing. Our first appointments to this Board are Donna Byrd and Luvvie Ajai Jones, and we will add more in the months ahead.

DO YOU REQUIRE YOUR EMPLOYEES TO SIGN NDAS AS PART OF SEPARATION?

The Wing does not require employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) as a condition of their severance agreement.
 
We recognize this is a very important topic so we want to clarify the misperceptions about the two standard documents an employee may sign: an employment agreement when they join the company and a severance agreement as part of layoffs.

  • When an employee joins the company, we ask them to sign an Employment Agreement, which contains two clauses that are standard and common in onboarding paperwork: 
    • A confidentiality provision that protects the company from leaks of confidential information like member data and other proprietary information such as strategy, product information, and analytics.
    • A Mutual Non-Disparagement agreement that prevents current and former employees from making disparaging comments and also prevents the company from making disparaging comments about an employee. 
  • When an employee receives a severance, there is a confidentiality provision in their severance agreement that prohibits them from sharing any personal terms and details of their severance agreement (such as their salary, length of severance, and benefits). This confidentiality provision is also standard and commonly found in most severance agreements.

WILL THE WING BE OFFERING NEW PRICING OPTIONS?

Wing membership is competitively priced based on the amenities, programming, and high-level experience we are able provide. Going forward, we are looking to introduce more flexible membership offerings with our members’ feedback in mind, so stay tuned for updates over the coming months. We are also continuing our scholarship program, which has given 350 scholarships recipients access to our spaces and community.

HOW WILL THE WING UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE CULTURE CODE?

It’s very important to us that everyone in our space is supported and feels welcome. We require all of our members and employees to agree to our Culture Code Pledge when they join The Wing and it is prominently displayed in all of our spaces.

If there is an incident of hate speech, harassment, threats or malice in one of our spaces, a member or guest can raise the concern with any of our staff, and the attending GM will investigate immediately. If deemed appropriate, the offending member will be removed immediately and an incident report will be submitted and reviewed by a committee. We will communicate to all involved with a summary of the incident and actions taken. Members may also submit a report online here.

We are also taking proactive steps to prevent and diffuse issues that may arise in our spaces. We now have a dedicated team for training and development and all team members will also receive ongoing coaching to bolster their skills.

WHAT ARE THE WING'S REOPENING PLANS?

We are looking forward to reopening select Wing locations in early summer, including Bryant Park Flatiron and Soho this May, and West Hollywood and San Francisco in June. We will be sharing news and updates about additional locations and future openings over the coming months.

To keep our team and members safe, we’ve made some essential changes to how our spaces operate, including implementing New Health & Safety Protocols. We are closely monitoring CDC and local government guidelines and will be updating our protocols as the situation evolves.