California employees may be familiar with forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts. These clauses require workers to resolve disputes with employers by going before an arbitrator. In many cases, employees’ odds of winning are lower when compared to taking a case to court.
They may also receive less compensation than they might be entitled to in a court case. A group of Google employees is looking to call attention to the issue of forced arbitration through a social media event.
They will be using Twitter and Instagram to promote employee stories as well as facts about forced arbitration.
Although this type of clause doesn’t apply to sexual harassment cases at most tech companies, they are still used in cases involving other types of discrimination. The organizers of the event hope that raising awareness will result in a level playing field for all workers.
In the tech industry, it is not uncommon for companies to lack female workers and diversity in general. This is not the first attempt that Google employees have made at highlighting the problems tech companies have at handling sexual harassment and other claims.
In November 2018, a walkout by 20,000 workers led to the end of forced arbitration in cases involving sexual harassment. However, those taking part in the latest event want it eliminated in most other cases.
Workplace discrimination may be a violation of employment law. Those who believe that they were treated differently based on their gender, religion or race may wish to take action against an employer. An experienced labor law attorney may work to resolve the matter in a favorable manner either in court or through other means.