One undisputed role for a nonprofit board is to ensure that policies and procedures are in-place and practiced to meet legal and values directional (aka mission) priorities. Knowing that policies and procedures fail to meet and/or are practiced is not always a simple task. Clearly a board must rely on its staff, aka CEO. And of course, the board must ask for this information. Failure to ask is irresponsible and more likely, fails to meet the standard of what is called-upon by fiduciary duty.
In comes Planned Parenthood: a large, important nonprofit that touches many communities. Planned Parenthood is about women's health. So, it should come as a surprise that its stated values and reputation conflict with what has been reported by some of its employees. Planned Parenthood, according to the New York Times, frequently fails the needs of its pregnant employees. Failure may even be to the point of discrimination but I think that's a matter for the court to debate and I would think, would likely violate federal EEOC regulations.
This failure though, to me, while executed by Planned Parenthood management, is in reality, a failure by the national and local boards (where this is occurring). It is the Planned Parenthood board that sets the standards (values) for what happens to its employees. It should be the board that asks the question and or receives regular reports on how employees are treated relative to law and values. With the frequency for which pregnant Planned Parenthood employees report "bad treatment", a board should not be unknowing and it should take action, both from a policy framing but also to hold its management accountable. I would also pose that if the board and management fail, donors will step-up and demand change and once again, the board will be called to action.
All nonprofits would be wise to learn from the Planned Parenthood boards' failing.