Stop Silencing Victims of Workplace Abuse With Threats of Legal Recourse

Target: Bobby Scott, Chairman of the House Committee on Education & Labor

Goal: Advocate for abolishment of non-disclosure agreements used to silence victims of workplace abuse and harassment.

When accusations of sexual misconduct against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein first came to light, one term kept surfacing: non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Countless women claimed they had signed NDAs that prohibited them from speaking about Weinstein’s behavior. Some were willing to break these agreements, at risk to their careers and their personal well-being, in order to reveal the truth. Since these moments that unofficially began the MeToo movement, thousands more individuals have come forward with their own stories of destructive NDAs used to cover up abuse and other bad behaviors.

In their original spirit, NDAs were contracts meant to maintain confidentiality in business settings and safeguard companies from unethical actions like corporate espionage. Over the years, however, these documents have been warped into legal weapons that silence, bully, and threaten victims. California recently passed the Silenced No More Act, which in effect nullifies NDAs if they are used to keep employees from speaking out about abuse, harassment, or discrimination.

Sign the petition below to encourage the nationalization of this important effort to give all workers back their voices.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Congressman Scott,

Freedom of speech is one of the most valued rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Yet every year, victims of abuse in the workplace are prevented from sharing their stories by the iron clamp of a legal document. Studies suggest that non-disclosure agreements keep silent up to one-third of individuals experiencing work-related harassment.

California took decisive action to end these legalized muzzles by making first the Stand Against Non-Disclosures Act, and more recently the Silenced No More Act, the laws of its land. Both acts strip away the ability of abusers to wield their power over their oppressed victims. Please take a closer look at these laws and give them a national platform and a pathway to federal passage.

Restore the voices of survivors across America.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Kat Smith