California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activists

TechnologyCalifornia companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activistsSilenced No More Act makes it illegal for firms to prevent employees from speaking out about harassment or discrimination Kari PaulFri 8 Oct 2021 03.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 8 Oct 2021 03.02 EDTIn a major victory for Silicon Valley activists and California workers, the governor has signed a law making it illegal for companies to bar employees from speaking out about harassment and discrimination.The new law is the result of hard-fought advocacy work by those in the tech industry who have long spoken out against the restrictive confidentiality arrangements, known as nondisclosure agreements or NDAs, which are intended to protect industry secrets but which has created a culture of silence around wrongdoing.NDAs often keep incidents of harassment and discrimination under wraps, forcing employees to keep quiet or face legal actions and fines. They became a point of debate after the #MeToo movement, when it was revealed that Harvey Weinstein used such contracts to keep his victims from speaking out.She sued for pregnancy discrimination. Now she’s battling Google’s army of lawyersRead more“This act is a huge step in the right direction in eliminating cultures of secrecy around misogyny and racism in the workplace, especially in California’s tech industry,” said Veena Dubal, an associate professor of law at the University of California, Hastings, and tech worker advocate.The Silenced No More Act was co-sponsored by …

07/10/2021