New amendment to workers’ rights bill bans NDAs hiding harassment, sexual misconduct, and discrimination

In a landmark move, the UK government will ban bosses from using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence employees who suffer harassment or discrimination at work, finally delivering what campaigners have demanded for years.

The changes, to be tabled on Monday night by ministers, mark one of the most sweeping reforms to employment rights in decades. Under the proposed amendments to the government’s Employment Rights Bill, any future NDA designed to prevent a worker from speaking out about sexual harassment, racism, or other abuse will be deemed null and void.

Victims will be free to share their experiences. Witnesses and even employers who want to call out wrongdoing will no longer face legal threats for speaking up. While NDAs will still be allowed for legitimate commercial reasons – like protecting trade secrets or intellectual property – their use as “gagging orders” in workplace abuse cases will end.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who has spearheaded the change, said: “Victims and witnesses of harassment and discrimination should never be silenced. The use of NDAs to cover up abuse is growing – and especially among those in low-income or insecure jobs. This cannot go on.”

She added: “No one should suffer in silence. We will back workers and give survivors the voice they deserve.”

The legislation represents the most significant upgrade to worker protections since the Blair era. Alongside the NDA ban, the bill will introduce day-one rights for workers, strengthen family-friendly policies, formalise bereavement leave, and clamp down on fire-and-rehire tactics.

The move comes after years of inaction by previous Conservative governments and follows increasing scrutiny of NDAs following #MeToo. Originally meant to protect commercial information, NDAs have been twisted into tools that bury complaints of misconduct and shield perpetrators — especially in retail, hospitality, and gig economy jobs.

Activists welcomed the shift. Zelda Perkins, a former PA to Harvey Weinstein and founder of the Can’t Buy My Silence campaign, said: “This is a huge milestone. For years we’ve had empty promises from governments. This change shows ministers have finally listened to victims.”

But she warned: “This isn’t over. We’ll be watching closely to ensure the new rules are watertight and no worker can be forced into silence again.”

Former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh and Lib Dem MP Layla Moran — both of whom fought to bring this issue to Parliament — hailed the breakthrough. Moran began campaigning after a student from Oxford University shared a traumatic story of being silenced by an NDA.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without the brave individuals who risked everything by breaking their NDAs and speaking out,” Moran said.

The misuse of NDAs has grown alarmingly widespread. A 2024 report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that 22% of UK employers used NDAs to handle sexual harassment complaints, while another 34% were unsure if their organisations did.

And Unite the Union’s survey of over 6,600 women laid bare the reality:

• 1 in 4 reported being sexually assaulted at work.
  
• 43% were inappropriately touched.
  
• 28% had pornographic material shown to them at work.
  
• 8% were victims of sexual coercion.
  

Many of these cases were buried under NDAs. Victims stayed silent out of fear, while employers avoided reputational damage.

But now, Labour’s amendment could make the UK one of the toughest countries in the world when it comes to banning NDAs that hide abuse — joining Ireland, parts of Canada, and several US states in pushing for transparency.

For Britain’s most vulnerable workers, this is more than law – it’s liberation.

BBC

The UK government will outlaw non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) used to silence victims of sexual misconduct or discrimination at work, under a major amendment to the Employment Rights Bill. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the reform would finally “stamp out” a practice long criticised for enabling abuse and cover-ups.

The move comes years after Zelda Perkins broke her NDA to expose Harvey Weinstein in 2017. Perkins, now a leading campaigner with Can’t Buy My Silence UK, called the change a “huge milestone” and credited whistleblowers who risked everything to speak out.

The new law will render confidentiality clauses void if used to suppress disclosure of harassment or discrimination, aligning the UK with similar reforms in Ireland, the US, and parts of Canada.

Employment Minister Justin Madders called the misuse of NDAs “appalling,” and said the change would empower millions to challenge inappropriate behaviour without fear of silence or retaliation.

SKY NEWS

Victims of workplace abuse will no longer be silenced by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), under sweeping reforms pledged by the UK government. An amendment to the Employment Rights Bill will ban NDAs designed to prevent employees from speaking out about harassment or discrimination, bringing the UK in line with similar protections in Ireland, the US, and parts of Canada.

The move follows years of campaigning led by Zelda Perkins, former assistant to Harvey Weinstein, who called the change a “huge milestone” and a tribute to whistleblowers who risked everything to break silence.

Deputy PM Angela Rayner said victims would no longer have to “suffer in silence,” while Employment Minister Justin Madders condemned the misuse of NDAs as “appalling.”

Currently in the House of Lords, the bill is due for debate on 14 July. If passed, it will outlaw gag orders that prevent victims from speaking about abuse, ensuring legal protections reflect justice—not secrecy.