#MeToo Claims Get Boost as U.K. Moves to Limit Gag Orders
- Companies can’t use non-disclosure agreements to stop reports
- U.K. goes beyond existing NDA advice to put onus on employers
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The U.K. agency responsible for oversight of the country’s #MeToo claims warned employers not to rely on nondisclosure agreements to stop whistle-blowers or other workers from reporting discrimination or sexual harassment.
Gagging orders “should not be used to hide a problem or brush it under the carpet,” the government’s mediation service, known as ACAS, said Monday in a statement. Previous warnings said settlements shouldn’t block people from talking to police, and the new non-binding advice goes beyond that to include companies’ attempts to keep incidents out of the media and civil courts.