SUNLIGHT

Microsoft Ends Secrecy in Sexual-Harassment Cases

The company will eliminate forced-arbitration agreements with employees.

Microsoft announced Tuesday that it will eliminate the use of forced arbitration agreements with employees who make sexual-harassment allegations. The change, which is also currently being proposed as a federal law (supported by Microsoft), comes after many of the powerful men toppled by the recent wave of sexual-misconduct revelations were found to have been publicly protected or even enabled by their employers’ policy of keeping discrimination and harassment claims out of court. “The silencing of people’s voices has clearly had an impact in perpetuating sexual harassment,” Microsoft president Brad Smith told The New York Times. The company’s high-profile move was applauded by Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host who sued the network over sexual harassment and became a public advocate against forced arbitration rules.