“The Employment Rights Bill will ban any NDA used for this purpose, so that no one is forced to suffer in silence.”
If passed, confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements or other agreements that prevent workers from speaking about an allegation of harassment or discrimination will be null and void, according to the UK government.
A welcome move
Zelda Perkins, Founder of the campaign Can’t Buy My Silence UK, called the government’s proposal a “huge milestone.”
“Above all though, 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,” Perkins said in a statement.
Ben Willmott, head of public policy for the CIPD, said they also welcome the amendment, but pointed out that this will not address cultures that enable sexual harassment or discrimination at work.