LONDON, April 15 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

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Governmentconsultson new rules tostopNDAsbeing usedto pressure workersandsilence victims of harassment and discrimination at work

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Followsyears of campaigning by advocatesincludingZelda Perkins, founder ofCan'tBuy My Silenceand formerPA to Harvey Weinstein

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Changes part of the Employment Rights Act, which will benefit over 18 million workers across the UK and make work pay for everyone

TheGovernment has today[15thApril]launched a consultationon new regulations to stop employers from using NDAs to cover up workplace harassment and discrimination - and is calling on the public to make their voices heard.

Research from the Young Women's Trust has found that1 in 4 young womenwould be reluctant to report sexual harassment at work for fear of losing their job.

As part of its commitment toprotect workers who speak up about wrongdoing, the Government will also be consulting in the summer on changes to the legal framework around whistleblowing, to ensure itisoperatingeffectively.

Itcomes as part of the government's plan to build an economy based on fair competition between businesses, greater productivity in the workplace, job security for workers, and fair reward forhard work.

EmploymentRightsMinister, Kate Dearden said:

We are committed to ending a culture of silence and impunity and stand with all survivors of harassment and abuse in the workplace.

These changes will ensure no one has to suffer in silenceand give workers confidence that inappropriate behaviourwill be dealt with."

The NDA consultation will seek views on the details underpinningnewchanges- including the conditions an NDA must meet to still be valid, and who workers should be free to speak to about their experience, regardless of what they have signed.

It will also ask for views on whether protections should, in the future, be extended to a wider group of people, including agency workers and the self-employed.

New changesto void exploitative NDAs will also mean that witnesses to this abhorrent behaviour are protected from being pressured into agreements that would stop them calling it out andpublicly supportingvictims.

Zelda Perkins, Co-Founder ofCan'tBuy My Silence said:

This consultation is a decisive moment in the fight to end the silencing of victims. The government has made a positive commitment to deliver but to make sure this legislation achieves its purpose, those who have suffered must speak up, loudly and clearly. By engaging with this consultation, victims can help ensure the legislation is strong, enforceable, and impossible to sidestep.

This is the chance to create world-leading protections and finally stop the misuse of confidentiality agreements to hide wrongdoing."

Notes to Editors

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NDAs is a catch-all term to describe any agreementcontainingconfidentiality clauses including non-disparagement clauses. These contracts or clauses restrict what a signatory can say, or who they can tell, about something.

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The NDA consultation will be open for 12 weeks - from Wednesday 15th April closing on Wednesday 8th July, with changes to come into effect in 2027.It can be found here: [Make Work Pay: misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) - GOV.UK]

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A 2019 surveyfrom the Young Women's Trustfound that1 in 4 young women would be reluctant to report sexual harassment at work for fear of losing their job (Young Women's Trust survey)

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Sexual harassment at work is rarely a single incident, with a 2025 Unite survey finding out of those who had been sexually harassed at work, 48% experienced it more than twice.  (Unite survey on sexual harassment in UK workplaces)

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In the year ending March 2023, an estimated 1 in 10 people aged 16 years and over experienced harassment in the previous 12 months in England and Wales. Of the 75% of victims that experienced this in person, 18% reported it occurring in workplace environments. (Crime Survey for England and Wales)

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Over 18 million workers willbenefitfrom the Employment Rights Act [Source:Employment Rights Act 2025: impact assessments - GOV.UK]

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.