Non-Disclosure, Non-Exposure: How NDAs Silence Workers in Tech and Beyond

Harassment and discrimination in the workplace are all too familiar for people with marginalized identities. Yet, the workers that experience it are usually quiet about it—because they have to be.

For decades, companies have used non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements to silence workers after experiencing harassment and/or discrimination. These often come during a settlement to cover up the issue “quietly,” to protect the company from public scrutiny. 

But this year, one tech worker has paired with a California lawmaker to end this practice. Ifeoma Ozoma publicly broke her NDA about racial discrimination at Pinterest and has worked with Senator Levya to expand protections against secret settlements to all forms of workplace harassment, including race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more with SB 331.

On Tuesday, July 27th at noon, we’ll be sitting down with Ifeoma Ozoma and other key players to discuss how NDAs have become gag orders, how SB 331 can free workers to share their stories, and change the game for tech and beyond. This conversation will be moderated by Hannah Holloway, Senior Policy Manager of TechEquity Collaborative.

Panelists include:

  • Ifeoma Ozoma, Founder and Principal of Earthseed
  • Mariko Yoshihara, Policy Director and Legislative Counsel for the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA)

Agenda:

  • Webinar kicks off at 12:00 PM
  • Panel discussion begins at 12:05 PM
  • Q&A from attendees from 12:40-1:00 PM

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About the Panelists

Ifeoma Ozoma is the Founder and Principal of Earthseed

Ifeoma Ozoma is the Founder and Principal of Earthseed, a consulting firm advising individuals, organizations, and companies on tech accountability, public policy, health misinformation, and related communications. She is a tech policy expert with experience leading global public policy partnerships, content safety development, and US Federal, State, and International policymaker engagement at Pinterest, Facebook, and Google.

Ifeoma is a co-sponsor of the Silenced No More Act. This legislation, authored by CA State Senator Connie Leyva, will allow every individual in California to share information about discrimination or harassment they have faced on the job, even after signing an NDA. Additionally, Ifeoma is currently spearheading an initiative that will provide tech whistleblowers with needed resources, and leading a project to scale the protections in the Silenced No More Act to tens of thousands more workers via shareholder activism.

Ifeoma’s health misinformation initiatives have been lauded by the World Health Organization, the Washington Post’s Editorial Board, and the New York Times. Originally from Anchorage, AK, Ifeoma is an ardent outdoors enthusiast as well as a nature photographer. She received a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University.

Mariko Yoshihara, Policy Director and Legislative Counsel for the California Employment Lawyers Association.

Mariko Yoshihara is the Policy Director and Legislative Counsel for the California Employment Lawyers Association. In her role, she leads and organizes legislative efforts to strengthen workers’ rights in California.  In 2018, she helped pass comprehensive sexual harassment reform measures, giving California the strongest sexual harassment laws in the nation.  She also helped pass the landmark Fair Pay Act in 2015 and subsequent equal pay legislation banning inquiries into prior salary and requiring large employers to submit pay data reports to the state. Last year she helped pass SB 1383 (Jackson), giving over 6 million more workers the right to take job-protected family leave.  

Before joining CELA, Mariko interned for the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, analyzing labor and employment law bills for the California state legislature.  She also worked for Assembly Member Swanson and Assembly Member Fuentes as a legislative aide.  Mariko graduated cum laude from UC Hastings College of the Law and summa cum laude from San Jose State University where she also played Division I soccer.  Mariko serves on the boards of ACLU of Northern California and ACLU California Action.  She was also the founding board chair of the Sacramento non-profit, the Center for Workers’ Rights. In her spare time Mariko likes to cook, travel, run and play soccer and volleyball.