ME TOO MOVEMENT - Ron Di Lalla - Realtor - Orange County

Buoyed by the #MeToo movement, California lawmakers are mounting a new push to prevent businesses from forcing workers into closed-door arbitration over sexual harassment, wage theft, discrimination and other complaints.  A bill authored by Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), AB 3080, would affect 67 percent of private California employers-those who require their nonunion workers to sign agreements waiving their rights to file a lawsuit or to complain to state or federal agencies in the event of a dispute.  “In forced arbitration, settlements often require the victim to refrain from discussing the case publicly,” Gonzalez Fletcher said.  “In a workplace with a culture of sexual harassment, these arbitration agreements are particularly toxic, enabling the abusive behavior to continue unchecked,” she added.  The bill would prohibit employers from making new hires sign the waivers as a condition of getting the job, continuing in the job, or receiving an employment-related benefit, such as a bonus. Employers also would be barred from retaliating against any employee who declines to sign such an agreement.