Ep 13: Power, Silence, and Justice - The Real Cost of Workplace NDAs

Quick heads up: This episode contains discussions of workplace harassment, bullying, and sexual harassment, including personal accounts. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care while listening.

Have you ever wondered why workplace harassment persists despite all the policies, training, and public commitments to change? The answer lies in power dynamics and how organizations respond when harm occurs.

Liz LeClair, founder of Uprising Consulting, joins #Fempire to unpack the critical issues surrounding power, accountability, and the misuse of non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of abuse. Together, we explore the concept of "boundary-spanning roles" – positions like fundraisers, nurses, and servers where employees serve as conduits between organizations and the public. What's striking is how harassment statistics remain nearly identical across these sectors, pointing to a universal problem with power imbalances.

While we may never eliminate these power dynamics inherently embedded in institutions and job roles, organizations can transform how they respond when incidents occur. Currently, most institutions fail at this crucial moment – fighting survivors rather than supporting them, forcing NDAs that tie financial compensation to silence, and refusing to offer genuine apologies or meaningful accountability.

Prince Edward Island made history by passing legislation restricting the misuse of NDAs in workplace harassment cases, but four years later, no other Canadian province has followed suit. Why? Because we continue prioritizing institutional protection over survivor justice. Liz believes that leaders lack training in humility and restorative practices, focusing instead on defending reputations and minimizing liability – often at tremendous personal cost to those harmed.

For survivors navigating these broken systems, community building emerges as a powerful path forward. Finding others who understand your experience provides validation that institutions often fail to offer. 

Listen now for an unfiltered conversation about power, accountability, and creating workplaces where justice and supporting victims isn't just a policy, but a lived reality.