If it is supposed to be confidential, you have grounds for legal recourse. If you can find others, you may be able to build enough for a class action lawsuit.

You can contact your state attorney general about violations of EEOC and they can put you in touch with appropriate labor departments or advise you on how to pursue. Again, document everything.

Remember, I never said it was easy. It’s not — by any stretch of the imagination. It’s work and there will be obstruction along the way.

It’s a battle of wills in the end. You’ve got to be prepared to be a pit bull and not let go to see it through. They are counting on you giving up and being too tired, stressed, legally ignorant of your rights and how to pursue redress, and financially burdened to continue. They’re counting on it not being worth your while.

Nobody can make that decision for you. I’ve chosen to let things go too, because it’s just not worth it or will make my life at that time more untenable and unstable. That was the right decision for me at the time. Other times I have pursued redress. I have not always been successful. That was the right decision for me at the time too.

I hope that my taking on the fight makes things better for others. At the very least, gives exploiters pause before trying that shit again. Regardless of whether or not my efforts were successful or I got recompense for it. I can live with that.

It’s not my job to save the whole world though. It’s too big, there’s too much wrong, and too much for one person. It’s not your job either, same reasons. We do what we can where we can and let that be enough. Nobody can make those determinations of when to act for you, they don’t know your life, your other responsibilities, or your challenges. Only you can do that.

I just hate to to see people accepting mistreatment because they’re afraid, they’ve already determined they’ll lose, or it’s just easier to accept that that’s how things are.