MPs vow to tackle misuse of ‘gagging orders’ in the wake of the Sir Philip Green scandal
- Non-disclosure agreements won’t be used to stop people reporting harassment
- Tomorrow Ministers will vow to legislate to prevent this misuse
- Currently, NDAs can be used to stop people reporting sexual harassment claims
A crackdown on the misuse of ‘gagging orders’ in the wake of the Sir Philip Green scandal will be unveiled tomorrow.
Ministers will vow to legislate to prevent non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) being used to stop people reporting harassment or discrimination to the police.
It comes after the long-running row over the 66-year-old Topshop tycoon’s use of confidentiality agreements over allegations that he sexually harassed, bullied and made racist remarks towards staff.
Ministers will vow to legislate to prevent non-disclosure agreements being used to stop people reporting harassment or discrimination following Phillip Green’s use of them to silence employees
Under current legislation, NDAs cannot be used to stop people reporting alleged illegal acts such as harassment or fraud.
But the Government says the law needs to be strengthened after ‘increasing evidence’ that the agreements were being abused by a minority of employers to intimidate whistleblowers and conceal harassment incidents including sexual assault and racism.
Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said: ‘Many businesses use NDAs and confidentiality agreements for legitimate business reasons, such as to protect confidential information.
‘What is unacceptable is the misuse of these agreements to silence victims and there is increasing evidence that this is becoming more widespread.
‘Our new proposals will help to tackle this problem by making it clear in law that victims cannot be prevented from speaking to the police.’
She said that the proposals were part of a bid to ‘kick-start cultural change in the workplace’ by encouraging more women at the top of business and requiring employers to publish gender pay data’.
The announcement comes over a year after MPs demanded action to curb the use of confidentiality agreements in cases of sexual harassment and whistleblowing.
![Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said the move would 'kick-start' a change in workplace culture. Simon Cowell has already bought Phillip Green out of his stake in Syco firm after fears he would become toxic for the brand](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/03/03/01/10506226-6765229-image-a-25_1551576970571.jpg)
Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said the move would ‘kick-start’ a change in workplace culture. Simon Cowell has already bought Phillip Green out of his stake in Syco firm after fears he would become toxic for the brand
Disclosures that Sir Philip used NDAs – with some payouts totalling more than £1 million – to silence allegations of sexual harassment, racist abuse and bullying have also put pressure on Ministers to act.
The tycoon has faced claims that he groped women, put a senior executive in a headlock and told a black man that he was ‘still throwing spears in the jungle’.
Sir Philip has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing. In October, he told The Mail on Sunday that he had indulged in no more than office ‘banter’, adding: ‘As far as I’m concerned that’s never been offensive.’
Last month, he dropped legal action against the Daily Telegraph to prevent publication of details of the NDAs, saying it was ‘pointless’ after he was named in Parliament as the businessman behind an injunction.
lAirline bosses are being urged to recruit more women pilots to close the gender gap.
Aviation Minister Liz Sugg called on the industry to act ahead of International Women’s Day this Friday.
She pointed out that although women made up nearly half the national workforce, only six per cent of airline pilots are women.