As a breadwinning mom who fought to be paid equitably twice using the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — and won, I watched in earnest as presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) announced a new policy that would put the responsibility for proving equitable pay on employers, fining them if they don’t pay women equally.
I know first hand the economic debate of speaking up, especially when others rely on me for their economic well being. If I speak up about inequitable treatment and pay, I may win additional compensation and opportunity. However, months or even years later I could face retaliation which will either end my career or hinder my future career prospects. The doubling of retaliation cases seen by the EEOC in the past 21 years makes this clear.
