For far too long, workers subjected to blatantly illegal and toxic behavior have been forced into a culture of silence, unable to speak about their experiences or to warn others about peril in the workplace.
Non-disclosure agreements, which were originally intended to protect proprietary information such as trade secrets, are now so prevalent that employees subjected to sexual harassment, racial and gender discrimination and retaliation are forced to stay silent about their treatment for fear of being sued by their employers simply for telling the truth.
Now, the state of Washington has the opportunity to join several other states across the nation that have allowed workers to speak their truth without fear. Legislation moving through both houses of the legislature would end this silencing epidemic by allowing survivors to disclose instances of illegal behavior, in an effort to improve organizational culture and to warn current and prospective co-workers.
Read more here.