End forced arbitration at [About the author]

Our industry has been experiencing many tough, necessary conversations across social media about persistent misogyny and sexual harassment in the workplace. Several of us at [Company] have participated in these conversations and have spoken out about the harm we've experienced both here and at previous companies. Thanks to the bravery of those speaking up and sharing their stories, several of us have been talking about necessary reforms at [Company] to empower our coworkers in cases of sexual misconduct. Through these conversations and an examination of our workplace, we are demanding [Company] end the practice of forced arbitration.

What is "forced arbitration" and why does it matter?

If you're like us, you've probably heard of the term "forced arbitration" but don't know exactly what it means. You are probably also unaware that our employment agreements at [Company] include a forced arbitration clause. Forced arbitration is a way for employers to control the legal process in the event they're accused of doing something wrong. Basically, employers use forced arbitration to prevent workers from going to court when their workplace rights are violated. This means that a worker doesn't have the full rights of the legal system and that the issue is resolved (or covered up) behind closed doors. Forced arbitration is designed to favor employers, not workers, by keeping misconduct out of the public eye. (Check out this fun TikTok explaining forced arbitration.)

The process often results in less favorable outcomes for workers -- including non-disclosure about what the worker experienced -- across all types of disputes, but forced arbitration is particularly harmful in cases of sexual misconduct and harassment. Too often, it ends up protecting the perpetrator by keeping their behavior and consequences secret, creating serial offenders.

Some of the ways forced arbitration limits rights of workers:

• Workers cannot seek legal remedies in court when their rights are violated.
• Workers cannot unite together to bring suit against [Company] .
• Workers are forced to keep the process of arbitration and the outcome confidential.
• Arbitration firms are hired by [Company] , ensuring they cannot be a fair and impartial voice in the process.

We are seeing workers at major companies successfully demand their employer end this practice. We believe it's time for [Company] to follow suit.

Our demands

This policy is designed to give [Company] more power than employees and we believe it is an unfair labor practice.

Plain and simple, this policy is wrong. [Company] must:

1. End enforcement of forced arbitration.
2. Update existing employees' agreements.
3. Remove it from new employment agreements immediately.

If the company rejects our demands, we propose a media campaign to expose the stories of forced arbitration at [Company] , and continued action such as a walk-out. You can express your support for these Actions after signing this campaign.

If you have been a victim of sexual misconduct at [Company] and would like to share your story privately, we are here to listen. There is also a national hotline for victims seeking help and support.