Disclaimer: I Don’t Work for Free
As a Black woman in business, I constantly face the frustrating reality of ‘exposure’ payment requests. These often come from organisations that claim to champion gender equality and racial equity. It's disheartening to see these organisations we (collective we) support in their efforts to dismantle inequality, turn around and ask for my expertise without fair compensation.
Some personal experiences of this kind include situations where individuals book a ‘get-to-know-you’ session to discuss their thoughts but then spend the entire time picking my brain without offering anything in return.
For instance, I was once invited to speak at a Black History Month (BHM) event. The organiser asked the panel to meet regularly to discuss the event's structure, including educating the organiser on specific antiracism and inclusion concepts and how to align our topic to the event with the central theme. The caveat is that this person had just recently been promoted to EDI, and they needed to figure out how to create an inclusive event. And this event falls on BHM, and they need to make something fit. When I inquired about a budget for our participation, I was informed that their organisation typically doesn’t pay for these events.
Bold Moves
This and other experiences have led me to publicly disclaim that ‘I don’t work for free.’
That is why I no longer offer free discovery calls.
I know I will add value to every session and call, but why must it be at MY cost…I wouldn’t ask a plumber to come and showcase their handy work before recommending them to my friends. The already existing testimonials and recommendations from others who have experienced our paid service allow you to make informed decisions before booking.
Explotatitive tactic used
Why don’t you just say no? you ask
I can now easily decline these offers - and at the very beginning of my career change, it was a useful quid pro quo to increase my visibility in exchange for information - but it became a constant and still early on, I didn't know any better, especially being invited into spaces that lack diversity, thought, and representation. I shouldn’t need to be still declining these offers; however, now that I am a well-established consultant with a pricing policy made available to anyone seeking my service and track record in working at the C-Suite and Board level, I feel it important to share some of what I wish I knew to avoid these pitfalls.
If you found us then we don’t need to be paid in ‘exposure’.
The conditioning that women, especially Black women and women of colour, go through in the early stage of their careers, where you are not valued or are considered crass if talking about money or asking for your worth, requires personal mindset shifts, unlearning, and boldness. It also requires perpetrators of these tactics to start moving toward an equitable way of working with us.
Calling out to call in. It’s time to start sharing these experiences.
How can we expect this exploitation to stop if we don’t talk about it? We are sharing these frustrations amongst ourselves, but we need to call out the BS with a unified voice. For those considering providing their intellectual property for free (including lived experience) for these organisations, first consider that good speakers add significant value to an event and are usually the highlight.
Baseline fees for the UK should start at £1200 as an absolute minimum, excluding accommodation, travel and other expenses. Leadership and corporate speakers in America expect to command fees between $5000 and $50,000+
I was recently asked to create an entire DEI training course for an organisation. This would normally take a month, including research specific to the company. They offered remuneration at £500! Even if I could do the work in a week, it would still put my value below minimum wage.
The more we all broadcast this problem, the more the message will get across and the quicker we can all benefit from the increased respect a professional relationship generates.
My path to unlearning to accept exposure payment
Coming from the creative industry as an actress, I was taught to believe that the promise of exposure payment would lead to that leading role.
Moving into the DEI and speaking space, the same pattern was expected from my last employer. My skills and lived experience were used as a free resource to be exploited by them, and while some of their clients valued the resource, others saw it as kinda nice to have but, because they were not paying for my time themselves, value added was lost on a tick box exercise.
When I started to build my business: I worked on my mindset; invested £20,000+ in tech development, coaching and mentorship to refine and sharpen my skills; I increased my traction, gathering testimonials and recommendations and improved my brand visibility; I did all this and I worked three times as hard just for potential clients to ask if I would accept payment in ‘Air’ - for the greater good.
Now, not all organisations are like this, so if you are doing the work of advancing gender and racial equity… please share your methods.
However, If you are a full-time user of the exposure payment, we have some reflective questions for you to follow below. Once you have completed your reflections, please pledge to avoid the Air payment approach to engaging Black women and women of colour.
Reflective Question:
Have you assessed your actions when engaging with Black women and women of colour?
Have you sent a "pick my brain" request recently?
Was it a last-minute consideration?
Did you share how that session helped you move forward?
Did you recommend that person for further (paid) work?
Review your emails:
How do you ask a woman to participate in your events compared to a man?
How do you ask a white woman compared to a Black woman or woman of colour?
Checklist to go through before you engage with Black women and women of colour:
Will they add value to my organisation?
Will the expertise and knowledge help me/us shift from point A to D?
Will it have a positive impact on a problem that is affecting our organisation?
Will the insight dispel the “we don’t know what we don’t know” mantra?
Will having this knowledge make my job easier so you can lead, delegate or create effectively?
If the knowledge and expertise you seek will transform, you should aim to budget accordingly as a business. Remember, when there is no incentive to invest, the contribution added becomes part of the tick box and continues to perpetuate inequalities.
But our budget is tight!!
If budget allocation is the issue, that’s yours and your organisation's business.
Please don’t lay it on our shoulders.
If you can’t afford the service, offer other incentives, such as making recommendations or referrals or offering to provide marketing content rather than asking for a reduction.
Not all organisations are like this, but there are too many rotten eggs not to address it.
Why this blog is necessary….
Is our cost of living different from yours?
Recently, I have seen, particularly over the past couple of months and rampantly this week, Black women and women of colour sharing their experiences of these exploitative tactics. Yet, I have not seen a single ally speak up or out about this issue.
We are expected to be graceful and grateful while highlighting issues that, if addressed collectively, could begin to shift the pay gap. It's a call to action for all of us to take responsibility and work towards a fairer society.
The pay gap is not just about wages; it also encompasses the professional services created out of a need to contribute to a fairer society. Organisations believe that exposure will bring paying clients, but the reality is that these clients often operate on the same wavelength. This cycle must end, and if your organisation’s first instinct is to ask for free labour or to reduce our fees, you must adopt comprehensive strategies to improve gender pay equality and ensure that Black women and women of colour are not exploited.
Gender pay equality remains a pressing issue in today’s corporate landscape.
Despite numerous initiatives, the gender pay gap persists, and Black women often find themselves at the intersection of racial and gender disparities. With Black History Month around the corner and International Women's Day having recently passed, it’s time for organisations to move beyond token gestures and implement fundamental changes.
The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated.
My hope is that this blog post serves as a call to action for organisations. It's time to move beyond token gestures and implement comprehensive strategies for gender pay equality. This includes fair compensation for the expertise of Black women and women of colour in every request you make.
Understanding the Problem
The Gender Pay Gap
The gender pay gap refers to the average difference in pay between men and women. According to the World Economic Forum, if current trends continue, it will take 135.6 years to close this gap. This gap is even wider for Black women and worse for Pakistani women, who face both gender and racial pay disparities.
Video of Equal Pay Day:
The Fallacy of Exposure Payment
Exposure payment is the practice of compensating individuals, often Black women and women of colour, with the promise of visibility rather than monetary compensation. This practice is exploitative and perpetuates the undervaluation of Black women and women of colour's contributions.
Budgeting for Change
Organisations often fail to budget appropriately for initiatives like Black History Month and International Women’s Day. Instead of investing in meaningful actions, they resort to superficial gestures that do little to address the underlying issues.
Conclusion
The time for superficial gestures and token initiatives is over. Organisations must adopt comprehensive strategies to improve gender pay equality and ensure equity for Black women and women of colour.
Organisations can make meaningful progress toward a fairer and more equitable workplace by conducting pay audits, establishing transparent pay structures, budgeting appropriately for DEI initiatives, compensating Black women and women of colour for their expertise, and fostering an inclusive culture.
Free Strategy Guide
As we approach Black History Month and reflect on the shortcomings of this year’s International Women’s Day, let’s commit to real change. It’s time to drop the practice of exposure payment, budget appropriately, and pay Black women and women of colour for their expertise. The road to gender pay equality and equity for Black women and women of colour is long, but with intentional action and unwavering commitment, we can create a society where everyone is valued and fairly compensated within or outside of the workplace.
This blog/rant serves as a call to action for organisations to take responsibility and implement the necessary changes. It’s not enough to pay lip service to the ideals of gender equality and equity.
Concrete actions and proper budgeting are essential to make a real difference. Let’s ensure Black women are heard and compensated fairly for their invaluable contributions.