Question 1

I want to apply for a SHE Mark (or three...or four)! How do I do that?

Accepted Answer

It means that we do not require companies to submit any information which could reveal a person’s identity (name, age, birthdate, Social Security number). We take both transparency and privacy seriously at The SHE Mark. That is why we ask for de-identified information - allowing us to get the information we need to certify a company without revealing individual identities.

Question 2

How do I evidence a company's division of ownership?

Accepted Answer

The SHE Mark accepts any or all of a few methods of documenting ownership division.
To evidence the ownership breakdown of your company in your application for a SHEowns mark, you can either fill in the designated space in the application with:

• All of the owners of the company (individual or entity)
 	• Each owner’s gender (if applicable)
	• Each owner’s holding/ownership percentage (must add up to 100%)

Or submit any of the following documents:

1. An ownership organization chart
	2. A register of members
	3. A spreadsheet listing all owners
	4. A cap table
 
Each of the aforementioned documents must contain: 
	1. Company name
	2. Mark(s) you are applying for
	3. All of the owners of the company (individual or entity)
	4. Each owner’s gender (if applicable)
	5. Each owner’s holding/ownership percentage (must add up to 100%)
    
If you have questions about your application, or if your ownership structure is particularly complicated, please feel free to reach out to us directly at info@theSHEmark.com.

Question 3

What constitutes an "owner"?"

Accepted Answer

The owner of a business is the person(s) or entity(ies) that own(s) some portion of equity in a company. Note: having a very high title or status, like President, is not the same as owning a business.

Question 4

What if the company is partially owned by another entity/company?

Accepted Answer

If your company meets our standards for the SHEowns mark without consideration of the equity held by an entity, then there is no need to send any further information on the entity that hold ownership.
 
If, however, consideration or review of the holding company may affect your qualification under the SHE Program, please include in your ownership evidence the same information for the holding entity as requested for the company applying, along with a sworn statement signed by either:
 
1. the individuals that own the holding company, if that company is a partnership or sole proprietor, or
2. a supermajority or unanimous shareholder or member resolution by the holding entity’s shareholders/members affirming their gender composition.

Question 5

What constitutes a "management" role?"

Accepted Answer

We separate our definitely of management depending on the size of the company. The current breakdown is as follows:
- 9 or fewer employees - All employees are considered
- 10-149 employees -All employees with supervisory responsibilities over 1 or more people
- 150+ employees - All employees with supervisory responsibilities over 2 or more people, and/or with departmental responsibilities
When we say “supervisory,” we mean roles whose responsibilities include delegation, management, hiring/firing, and/or people report or are responsible to you for their work product. When we say “departmental,” we mean roles whose responsibilities include the overseeing of an entire department, even if their direct report is only one person.
A person is considered a direct report to qualify for the above requirements if their manager is responsible for assigning them work that is not solely administrative or clerical.

Question 6

What constitutes a "creative" role?"

Accepted Answer

For the purpose of the SHEmakes application: a creative role is one that innovates or creates, and/or generates or develops original products or ideas.
Some obvious examples include roles directly involving graphic design, product design, clothing design, creative writing, make-up artistry, or video production and editing.
Some not-so-obvious examples include roles directly involving software engineering, app development, culinary innovation and preparation, marketing, or event planning.
 
If you think a role at your company qualifies, but you are not sure or wish to explain it further, feel free to include an explanation in the application, or send us an email referencing your application to info@theSHEmark.com. We may reach out to you if clarification is needed about a particular role.

Question 7

What constitutes an "employee"?"

Accepted Answer

For purposes of applying for certification under the SHE Program, your application must include all full-time employees (based on the the IRS definition*), as well as qualifying part-time employees.
“Employee”
SHE relies on the United States Internal Revenue Service’s definition of “employee” in determining whether an applicant company meets our applicable standards. To briefly summarize what constitutes an “employee,” an employee (as opposed to an independent contractor) has a relationship with their employer where the employer controls what will be done and how it will be done. Please refer to our SHE Program for more details. For the most complete and accurate explanation of this standard, please consult the IRS website and a licensed attorney*. 
“Full-Time”
Full-time, for the purposes of this program, refers to an employee who is employed on average for at least 30 hours of service** per week or 130 hours of service** per month.  
 
Additional Qualifying Employees
Certain part-time employees (working fewer than full-time hours) qualify as “employees” under this program; specifically, if an employee meets all of the criteria listed in our SHE Qualified Employee Checklist, they must be included in the application.
*NOTHING ON THIS SITE NOR ANY CONTENT MADE AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, OR USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR, LEGAL OR TAX ADVISORY SERVICES. For the IRS’s definition of these terms, click here and here.
 
**An "hour of service" is an hour for which an employee is paid, or entitled to payment by the employer, (a) for the performance of duties for the employer, or (b) for a period of time during which no duties are performed due to vacation, holiday, illness, incapacity/disability, layoff, jury duty, military duty or leave of absence. Hours of service specifically do NOT include volunteer hours for tax-exempt entities or work-study by students.

Question 8

How do I evidence my company's reporting hierarchy and operational structure?

Accepted Answer

The application has space for you to fill out the required evidentiary information. You may also upload your own organization chart or spreadsheet. Either must contain: each employee's job title, each employee's gender, and the reporting hierarchy (which can be created in a chart or by listing out any applicable direct reports.)

A corporate organization chart is a drawing or visual representation of the reporting structure and employee organization in a company. Your corporate organization chart should include:
1. Company name
2. Mark(s) you are applying for
3. Each employee's job title
4. Each employee’s gender
5. The reporting hierarchy
Please do not include any names or other identifying information.
 
If you do upload your own evidence document, we understand that your company’s organization chart might not fit on one sheet. Please feel free to divide your organization chart into departments within your company, with an understanding of whom each department head reports to. We also encourage consolidation of information, if applicable - e.g. Retail Associate (3 M, 3 W).

If you have questions about your application, or if your operating structure is particularly complicated, please feel free to reach out to us directly at info@theSHEmark.com.

Question 9

Why do I have to figure out employee turnover rate?

Accepted Answer

We understand that it is natural for companies to experience employee turnover and that a company with a higher-than-average turnover rate may impact a company’s qualifications for the SHE Mark(s) during the two year certification period. A company will not be denied certification solely based on their turnover rate. However, if a SHE Certified company has a turnover rate over 9%, the company may be required to submit additional employment information during the term of certification to make sure you continue to meet our standards of gender equality as you grow and change!

Question 10

How do I calculate the rate of employee turnover?

Accepted Answer

1. Pick a period of time that you want to measure your employee turnover rate over. For SHE's purposes, this would be 12 months (1 year).
2. Add the number of your employees at the beginning of the time period to the number of your employees at the end of the time period. Then, divide that number by two. This quotient will be your average number of employees.
3. Divide the number of employees who left during this time period by your average number of employees.
4. Multiply this quotient by 100 to calculate your turnover rate.
Please refer to this link for an in-depth explanation on how to calculate your company’s employee turnover rate. If you have additional questions or experience any issues, please email info@theSHEmark.com.

Question 11

My company employs transwomen and/or gender non-binary individuals, how do I account for them in the application?"

Accepted Answer

At The SHE Mark, we believe transwomen are women, so go ahead and designate them the way you would any other woman.
 
Gender diverse individuals (gender nonbinary, agender, genderfluid, genderqueer, two-spirit, etc.) are counted towards your 50+% to qualify for a SHE Mark. Meaning, gender diverse individuals should be included in the same category as women for the purpose of determining the percentage breakdowns relevant for the application. For example, if your company employs four men in creative roles, three women people in creative roles, and one gender non-binary person in a creative role, your company could qualify for SHEmakes.
 
However, we understand that gender non-binary or agender individuals may wish not to be identified in the same group as women, so if your employee feels strongly about not being included in that group for our application, feel free to designate them otherwise.

Question 12

I want to apply for a SHE Mark, but my business can’t afford it right now. Do you offer alternative payment options?"

Accepted Answer

If you are interested in applying for a SHE Mark but finances are an issue, please reach out to info@theSHEmark.com and we will see if your company qualifies for our scholarship program.

Question 13

I’m having an issue with payment.

Accepted Answer

We’re so sorry about that! Sometimes our payment provider, Stripe, malfunctions, and sometimes your credit card company can be a little overprotective - don’t worry, your application materials have likely been submitted (if you’d like to double check this, please email us at info@theSHEmark.com).

Question 14

I can’t seem to apply on mobile!

Accepted Answer

Currently, we do not offer a mobile version of our applications. Our SHE Mark applications are best filled out online, from a desktop computer. If you would prefer to fill out a paper application, we are more than happy to accomodate. Please send us an email at info@theSHEmark.com to request a PDF version.

Question 15

How long does SHE certification last?

Accepted Answer

Two years! We think that’s a great balance between getting good use out of your mark, and making sure we can verify that companies continue meeting our standards.