Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.
-Institute as part of your initial workplace awareness for new staff members, and contractors.
-Institute as part of you annual mandatory training for 'ALL' members. From the frontline to board.
BEMA International

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Dear Friend,
Sexual harassment of any kind, especially in the
workplace, is an abomination that must be rooted out in full force. One in
three women has faced sexual harassment in the workplace, forcing many to
leave their occupation or industry, or pass up opportunities for
advancement. Sadly, an estimated 87-94% of victims never come forward to
report incidents in the workplace and even worse, 95% of perpetrators go
unpunished.
Part of this troubling phenomena can be
explained by the fact that over 1/3 of American workers are bound by
non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in their employment contracts, which could
prevent them from discussing harassment or assault in the workplace. Too many
survivors have already signed away their rights to come forward before their
abuse even occurs, and more continue to do so every single day. That is why
we must put an end to this unjust practice.
Let’s be clear, the original purpose of
the NDA was to protect trade secrets and ensure that when a company has a
truly unique idea or piece of information, a competitor cannot get its hands
on that valuable knowledge. This makes sense and is a legal framework that
helps build and protect so many of America’s successful small and large
businesses.
Over time, however, the NDA has been
used for more sinister reasons. To protect an organization’s reputation, many
have weaponized the NDA, abusing its strong legal power to cover up
allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault. In many instances,
these agreements are buried in a standard employment contract, and when a new
employee is hired, many do not even know they are giving up critical rights.
Given this wrong that needs to be
addressed, I am proud to have helped pass today in the U.S. House of
Representatives, the Speak
Out Act. The Speak
Out Act makes pre-dispute NDAs unenforceable in disputes
regarding sexual assault or sexual harassment, giving survivors the choice
between telling their story publicly or signing an NDA as part of a
settlement. This extensive legislation also covers non-disparagement clauses,
which prohibit communicating anything negative about one’s company,
services, products, or leadership.
This legislation takes a
significant step in the right direction and will make people in
power think twice about their actions. We must end this culture of silence
that empowers the perpetrator and mutes the survivor, and the Speak Out Act helps
us achieve that goal.
Yours in service,

Kweisi Mfume
Member of Congress
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Washington,
DC Office
2263 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-4741
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Baltimore
Office
1010 Park Ave., Suite 105
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-685-9199
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Catonsville
Office
754 Frederick Road
Catonsville, MD 21228
Phone: 410-818-2120
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Ellicott
City Office
8267 Main St., # 102
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 443-364-5413
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