Major League Baseball sent a memo to all 30 teams last week, warning that many of their facilities were not inclusive for female employees. According to the message, the league will soon require the teams to make changes to address what it deemed an unacceptable working environment.
The memo, written by Michael Hill, a senior vice president of MLB’s on-field operations, highlighted the various issues that women face while working in the league’s facilities. Among the problems is the lack of access to mental-health professionals.
In March 2021, the league issued regulations that require all teams to provide women with clean and private locker rooms. These rooms, close to the main building, are equipped with a restroom and a shower.
“Over the first six weeks of the season, it has become clear that a number of Clubs are not in compliance with these requirements, particularly with respect to hosting women on visiting teams,” the memo read.
Substandard facilities
The memo was sent to address the concerns of multiple women who spoke with ESPN about the various issues they faced when working in the league’s facilities. One of the main issues faced by the women was the lack of access to bathrooms. They said that they spent a lot of time planning out their trips to other areas of the stadium to access bathrooms.
The women also said that they are part of the team, yet they often found themselves in auxiliary media areas or rooms designed to separate themselves from the main locker room. The long-term goal of the league is to start a dialogue about the use of spaces in the stadiums to make them more conducive to the development of a more inclusive working environment.
It has been reported that around one to two dozen women regularly use the facilities of the 30 teams. While the women in MLB have been vocal about the inequity they face, others have also raised similar concerns in support of the women.
The memo noted that many of the teams’ facilities were not up to the standards expected when it came to providing a welcoming and comfortable working environment for the women of MLB.
“Many Clubs’ female facilities fall embarrassingly below the high standards befitting a member of a visiting traveling party of a Major League organization,” the memo added. “They also create an untenable working environment for women, some of whom are now choosing not to travel to certain cities with their Club on the road.”
Moving toward inclusivity
Although the league did not provide any detail regarding the possible repercussions the teams could face if their facilities were not up to the standards, the memo insisted that the owners were required to provide detailed floor plans and photos of the proposed changes by June 3.
“We understand that space constraints in some ballparks may limit Clubs’ ability to adhere to these requirements,” the memo continued. “However, we expect all Clubs to make the necessary sacrifices in order to provide satisfactory facilities to all female staff.”
