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UK Government to Consider Limiting Use of Non-Disclosure Agreements Across Companies, Following Dispute by Retail Billionaire Philip Green, Used for Silencing Allegations of Serious Misconduct worn by former employees.
Penny Mordaunt, Minister for Women and Equality, reacted to recent reports in The Daily Telegraph that Sir Philip would be fumbling at a senior leader and making badist and racist remarks to staff by launching a consultation on the use of NDA in British companies.
Sir Philip has always denied all the charges against him. On Sunday, he declined to comment on the Sunday Telegraph's latest allegations that the president of Arcadia, the group behind brands such as Top Shop and Burton, has intimidated a lawyer hired to conduct an internal investigation into his behavior.
The government's investigation will examine whether the widespread use of NDAs actually allows workplace harbadment by high net worth individuals and executives.
In the Sunday Telegraph, Ms. Mordaunt said the purpose of the consultation was "to hear the right people and understand if there should be more restrictions on confidentiality clauses so that workers can not be silenced ".
Sir Philip abandoned any legal attempt to prevent the Daily Telegraph from appointing him as part of his investigation into his conduct towards the staff.
The paper presented detailed allegations, including the fact that Sir Philip slapped a high-ranking leader called "a naughty girl", kissed her face and commented on her weight several times.
According to the newspaper, the woman was paid "more than a million euros" to keep silent about the incidents.
A similar sum would have been paid to a black employee after he filed a lawsuit before Sir Philip and Arcadia in 2017, before withdrawing it after reaching a settlement.
Judge Warby, the judge who lifted an injunction against The Telegraph to report the charges against Sir Philip, said: "The NDA was entered into freely, with the benefit of legal counsel, and the seekers [Sir Philip and Arcadia] were likely to persuade the court at a trial that publication of the information in question should not be allowed. "
The Sir Philip case opened a public debate on the effectiveness of such restrictive clauses and when they should be used.
In launching the consultation, Ms Mordaunt wrote: "Confidentiality agreements are designed to provide businesses with a legal framework that allows good practice and trust to be put in place. They can not hide illegal activities.
"Anyone who is a victim or witness of crime at work can not be bound by a confidentiality agreement by reporting it to the police."
She added, "I want to make it clear to those who think they can harbad and harbad people at work that the government and good employers will not accept this heinous behavior and will take action to ensure that the rights of workplaces are protected. all".
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