Victims of bullying and abuse at work will no longer have to “suffer in silence”, the government has said, as it pledges to ban controversial non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
Accusers of Harvey Weinstein, the former film producer and now convicted sex offender, are among many in recent years who had to breach such agreements in order to speak out about what they had endured.
As Labour seeks to boost workers’ protections, its ministers have suggested an extra section in the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill that would void NDAs designed to stop employees from going public about harassment or discrimination.
The government said this would allow victims to come forward about their situation rather than remain “stuck in unwanted situations, through fear or desperation”.
Zelda Perkins, Weinstein’s former assistant and founder of Can’t Buy My Silence UK, said the changes would mark a “huge milestone” in combatting the “abuse of power”.
She added: “This victory belongs to the people who broke their NDAs, who risked everything to speak the truth when they were told they couldn’t. Without their courage, none of this would be happening.”
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Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said the government had “heard the calls from victims of harassment and discrimination” and was taking action to prevent people from having to “suffer in silence”.
An NDA is a broad term that describes any agreement that restricts what a…
