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Summary.
We’re in an unprecedented moment for employee negotiations. The pandemic accelerated the transformation of work practices, and we’re living through a historic labor migration and uncertain economic times in which organizations are struggling to attract and retain talent. In the subsequent surge in negotiation, if women and men are confined to outdated gender expectations, we could come out of this in an even more inequitable place. The authors dispel three myths that are hampering women’s potential to seize opportunities and overcome barriers in their careers. As organizations redefine the future of work, it’s time for leaders to make their employee negotiations more equitable.We work with professional women all the time on their career negotiations: training them, advising their employers, and studying their successes and pitfalls. One of us (Kathryn) is a negotiation coach and trainer and the other (Hannah) is a scholar and educator. Over and over again, we hear three negotiation myths that we fear are hampering women’s potential to seize opportunities and overcome barriers in their careers. As organizations redefine the future of work, it’s time to dispel these myths about negotiation so leaders can make their employee negotiations more equitable.