Image: Hermera

A recent meeting with female employees of the New York Stock Exchange found that the ladies room situation is a major inconvenience. While the guys have facilities that are right near the trading floor, the ladies literally need a map to get to the restroom.

The meeting was conducted as a result of the NYSE’s participation in the Moving the Needle campaign, which seeks to increase diversity at U.S. companies. That includes the executive level, in recruiting positions, on committees, and in other positions. Moving the Needle is brought to us by Corporate Board Member, an education provider for publicly traded companies. The NYSE is its parent company.

“It’s hard to believe that the location of a bathroom could have anything to do with getting more women in the boardroom, but actually it does,” says The Grindstone. A little surprising, but maybe not so much. The ladies room — its upkeep, its location, the wait time — are all topics of conversation for women. And the situation at the NYSE sounds extreme.

In our experience, small things can make a big difference. And really, the restroom isn’t a small thing. Providing lactation spaces, complimentary tampons, and other services specifically for women are ways to attract them as staffers. Moreover, they’ll talk up that company as a good place to work.

And it’s not just the women that benefit. A study conducted by the Credit Suisse Research Institute found that companies with at least one woman on the board do considerably better, from an economic standpoint, than those companies with all-male boards.