In a Day’s Work

The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America’s Most Vulnerable Workers

With a new preface by the author

The Pulitzer Prize finalist’s powerful examination of the hidden stories of workers overlooked by #MeToo

“A timely, intensely intimate, and relevant exposé.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Finalist, 2019 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
Winner, 2019 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction
Winner, 2018 Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice

Apple orchards in bucolic Washington State. Office parks in Southern California under cover of night. The home of an elderly man in Miami. These are some of the workplaces where women have suffered brutal sexual assaults and shocking harassment at the hands of their employers, often with little or no official recourse. In this heartrending but ultimately inspiring tale, investigative journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Bernice Yeung exposes the epidemic of sexual violence levied against the low-wage workers largely overlooked by #MeToo, and charts their quest for justice.

In a Day’s Work reveals the underbelly of hidden economies teeming with employers who are in the practice of taking advantage of immigrant women. But it also tells a timely story of resistance, introducing a group of courageous allies who challenge the status quo of violations alongside aggrieved workers—and win.

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Praise

“In a Day’s Work is exactly what I’ve been waiting for—some serious attention to the great majority of sexual harassment victims, who aren’t Hollywood stars but the low-paid women whom we depend on to pick farm produce, clean offices, and care for our children. Bernice Yeung’s scalding exposé should dramatically affect the way we see women’s abuse in the workplace.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed
“[Yeung] tells compelling stories that illustrate systemic problems without reducing people to mere players in a legal argument. She skillfully knits case studies into rigorous policy analysis. Most important, Yeung traces paths toward progress beyond merely raising awareness. . . . In a Day’s Work shows that in fact we are in control of what happens next: With vigorous reporting, we can parlay the momentum of #MeToo into real systemic change. To do that, it is urgently necessary to support the efforts of America’s most vulnerable workers, who are already leading the way, for the collective good.”
—Tara Murtha, The Washington Post
“In a Day’s Work is a must-read for all who believe time’s up on abusive employment practices for all workers. Yeung shows us through these courageous stories that the time to change the balance of power is now.”
—Saru Jayaraman, author of Behind the Kitchen Door

News and Reviews

On Point on WBUR

Listen to Bernice Yeung, Erica Morales and Lilia Garcia discuss janitorial workers fighting for and winning protections against harassment.

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Shondaland

Interview with Bernice Yeung about In a Day’s Work and her experience reporting on this.

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Splinter

Bernice Yeung talks to Clio Chang for Splinter about sexual harassment in low-wage industries, the challenges organized labor faces in addressing this issue, and how the women she spoke to feel about the Me Too movement.

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Bernice Yeung

Bernice Yeung is an award-winning journalist for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting covering race, gender, and issues related to violence aga

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Pages

Goodreads Reviews