Legislation Would Require Public Companies To Disclose Workplace Harassment And Discrimination Settlements

May 9, 2023 - WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) has joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA) in introducing the Sunlight in Workplace Harassment Act, which would require large, public corporations to publicly report all settlements and judgments related to incidents of discrimination, harassment, and sexual abuse each year. The bill would help protect workers by better enforcing workplace protections against discrimination and harassment, and would provide investors in public companies with clarity about how prevalent these issues are in the companies they invest in.

Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

“For far too long, sexual misconduct and harassment in the workplace have gone unreported and unheard,” said Senator Jacky Rosen. “As the nation’s largest companies try to hide behind private settlements, Congress has a responsibility to improve transparency and create a safe working environment for everyone. That’s why I’m proud to help introduce this legislation to require public companies to report sexual misconduct settlements, helping to expose harassment and abuse of power in order to protect workers.”

Senator Rosen continues to push for workplace equality and protection from discrimination and harassment. Earlier this year, on Equal Pay Day, Senator Rosen joined her colleagues in introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would help eliminate the gender wage gap and guarantee women the power to challenge pay discrimination and hold their employers accountable. Last Congress, she also co-sponsored the Combatting Sexual Harassment in Science Act to improve the understanding of factors contributing to sexual harassment in STEM fields, examine policies to reduce it, and get government agencies to begin fighting against it. Core provisions of the bill were signed into law last year as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.
Source: Senator Jacky Rosen