Period Underwear Company "Thinx" Uses Feminist Marketing But Treats Its Female Employees Like Shit
Racked- Behind the scenes, many current and former employees paint a picture of dysfunction and hypocrisy, with clashes between Agrawal and key members of her team, employment policies that seem to fly in the face of the company’s women-first messaging, and an increasingly volatile work environment that’s led many of those who were instrumental in creating the brand to tender their resignations. According to several sources, ten people have left the 35-person company since January, and last Thursday, Agrawal announced to the staff that she is stepping down from her role as CEO of Thinx…
For some, though, it’s too little, too late. In interviews over the past month with a half-dozen current and former employees, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, all described a company culture in which substandard pay, flimsy benefits, and scarce perks are endured in exchange for working toward a mission they truly believe in.
“It honestly felt like a middle school environment: pitting people against each other, calling us petty children and [saying that we were] immature and that we’re all these millennials that don’t know anything — meanwhile we’re being paid easily $30,000 under industry standard salaries,” says one former employee. “It was truly like being in an abusive relationship. And I don’t use that analogy lightly… I don’t know if you’ve ever had the feeling when you walk into a place — whether it’s with your family or a job or a friendship circle — and you simply just don’t know how the other person is going to react. One day they could be in a super great mood and everything’s fine and dandy and you’re being praised left and right, or else you walk in and you’re treated like you’re dirt… That takes an emotional and physical toll on you. To wake up every day and not know how you’re going to be treated that day is really quite awful.” “
Are periods gross? Yes. It’s not normal blood; it’s too viscous. That shit will stain your porch. And they’re even grosser when you explain the process as “shedding the uterine lining.” What’s really happening, kids, is that an egg was brought forward to be fertilized. If it doesn’t catch any swimmers, it breaks apart and exits out the VAGINA. If we just started describing the process in family-friendly terms like “egg smash” or “sunny side down the fallopian tubes!” I think we could make period culture more palatable. But that will never happen because feminism.
Having said that, I don’t think women need to be secretive or ashamed about menstruation at all. If you flipped the script and men had to deal with periods, we’d be all about it. We’d announce it when it started each month and use it as an excuse to get out of plans. Like man, I can’t come to your girlfriend’s birthday brunch, my dick is bleeding. World Star would still be dudes yelling, “boi you leakin!” It’d be fun!
If you live in New York, you’ve seen these Thinx ads all over the subway. They’re very in the face, and that’s the point–they’re daring you to take issue with them. Their stance is to bring period-talk out in the open so it’s not something women need to hide. It’s a brand that invokes feminist ideals as a marketing strategy and, to this point, their marketing has been extremely effective.
Of course, it’s a little hypocritical to push a feminist image when you treat your female employees like shit. Don’t throw stones if you live in glass tampon. Honestly, I have no problem with Miki Agrawal running a tight ship. Hell, the place sounds a lot like Barstool. I wake up every day and have no idea what to expect when I get to work. Will I be brought onto Sirius radio because I texted the wrong girl? Will my mom call me in tears because my boss called me a liar and a psychopath in front of hundreds of thousands of people? Will the bigger players at my job exploit for content a serious and personal health scare that turned out to be a mistake? Who knows, it’s Wednesday. This is what we signed up for and I wouldn’t trade places with anyone.
PS- Here’s the CEO. No, she’s not on safari.
