Lay Down the Law: The NDAs creating sweeping silence

In this episode of Lay Down The Law, host Jo Stanley is joined by Jessica Dawson-Field from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Professor Julie Macfarlane and Wil Stracke, Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council.

Together, they explore how the law protects and empowers women, with a focus on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

NDAs were designed decades ago as a means to protect trade secrets. Today, they're being overused (and many say abused) and have become an almost de-facto agreement as part of many settlements. From sexual harassment to unfair dismissal and sexual abuse cases, the victim-survivors are being legally compelled to stay silent, even among family and close friends. Together, the panel of four discuss the steps required across the board to remove these NDAs from settlements.

Although it is challenging to find individuals bound by NDAs to speak about their experiences, it's vital to keep actively working to end the misuse of NDAs and ensure justice for survivors.

As we continue the fight for women's rights and gender equality, the only way to address this structural problem is through transparency and engaging the entire workplace.

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