For small, new, and growing businesses, HR can seem like an extravagance, something corporate, something you only need after you reach a certain critical mass. But if you’ve followed #MeToo or #BlackLivesMatter, you know that HR is both essential to any workplace, and SUPER problematic in its traditional form.

Have you ever or do you currently work in a restaurant? Me too. Did you experience harassment or discrimination from your managers, colleagues, customers, or all of the above? Yeah, me too. It’s not a surprise to learn that we’re not alone.

For a lot of employers, the concept of Human Resources feels like a luxury at best, or a barrier to progress at worst. If you’ve founded a small business or are scaling up a startup, the last thing you need on your plate is bureaucracy gumming up the works. And after all, that’s what HR is known for, right?

“Is anyone else experiencing sexist comments?” When Brienne Allan, head brewer and production manager at Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts, posted this simple question on Instagram, she couldn’t have predicted the avalanche of response.

Rebecca Weaver had the pleasure of chatting with Jules Gill-Peterson about how we should be thinking about gender, allyship, and trans-inclusion in the workplace. Click to watch their conversation!