UK moves to ban NDAs used to silence victims of workplace abuse
The provision would void existing NDAs used by businesses to silence employees who were subject to sexual harassment or discrimination.
Britain is moving to ban employers from using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to muzzle workers who have been the victims of misconduct on the job.
The provision is set to be added to the broader employee-rights legislation being advanced by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government.
It would void existing NDAs used by businesses to silence employees who were subject to sexual harassment or discrimination and allow witnesses to speak out without risk of being sued, the government said in a statement.
'Victims and witnesses of harassment and discrimination have been silenced for too long,' Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said in a post on social media platform X on the night of July 7.
'This Labour government will stamp it out.'
The provision of the workers-rights legislation may mend some of the political divisions among Mr Starmer's Labour Party that were underscored last week by
a rebellion that forced him to back down from key elements of a welfare-reform measure.
That marked a humiliating defeat for Mr Starmer just a year after Labour won a commanding victory in the 2024 election, and will force Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves to find additional ways to cut spending or raise taxes when she crafts her upcoming budget. BLOOMBERG
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10
Singapore NDP 2025: Tank that bumped into traffic light lost steering and braking power due to faulty part
Singapore AI cannot supplant learning, it must enable it: Desmond Lee
World 25% on Japan and Malaysia, 40% on Laos: Trump's tariff letters to Asia add pressure for deals by Aug 1
Asia China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals
Singapore Grab to trial driverless shuttle for staff between Media Circle office and one-north MRT station
Singapore Ong Beng Seng's new pre-trial conference date set for July 23
Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
28 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Search underway in Bali waters for missing Saudi tourist
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Saudi man was swept away by a strong current while swimming with his partner at the popular surfing spot. DENPASAR - Search and rescue personnel are looking for a Saudi Arabian tourist who went missing on July 8 while swimming off Batu Belig Beach in Badung regency, Bali, the latest in a string of water-related incidents in the popular resort province. Authorities say Mr Alhawsawi Asad Mohamed, 29, was swimming with his 30-year-old Russian partner at the popular surfing spot at around 2.40pm on July 8 when he was suddenly swept away by a strong current.

Straits Times
43 minutes ago
- Straits Times
More NSFs may be recruited to tackle scams: Police
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Special Constable (SC) Irfan Daniyal Mohammad Shaarin, 21, likened scouring social media for scam activity to being a hunter in a jungle. SINGAPORE - While many full-time national servicemen (NSFs) train in dense forests or patrol bustling streets, a special group of them wages an online war against scams. Known as National Service Cybercrime Operators (NSCOs), they trawl social media for scammers and block scam websites from public access. There are 10 NSFs in this new vocation, which was introduced in 2024 to bolster Singapore's fight against the scam scourge. That year, scam victims lost a record $1.1 billion . A police spokeswoman said it plans to continue expanding the NSCO vocation to support more anti-cybercrime efforts across its units. A member from its pioneer batch, Special Constable (SC) Irfan Daniyal Mohammad Shaarin, 21, likened scouring social media for scam activity to being a hunter in a jungle. SC Irfan said: 'Once I start the clock, it's free range for me. I will proactively seek out anyone and anything I can find that fits our criteria for taking down these accounts.' SC Irfan and his colleague SC Tan De Xun, 22, spoke to The Straits Times on July 9 at the Police Cantonment Complex about their experiences. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Business F&B operators face tougher business landscape amid rising costs and stiff competition Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Life The rise of Tupai King, the rage of weather: How durian season is changing Asia 'Woven air': Ancient fabric spun across history makes comeback amid lies and climate change Life At 79, she can do 100 pull-ups: Why more seniors are hitting the gym Business What's in store for policyholders after GE removes pre-authorisation letters for two private hospitals Both have a diploma in information technology, and did not expect to serve the nation this way. SC Tan thought he would be an administrative clerk, as most of his friends received such postings. But he was invited to undergo an aptitude test and interview for the new vocation, and was accepted. SC Tan said: 'I felt like I hit the jackpot.' The police said selection and assessment for the vocation are done during the Police Officer Basic Course, where suitable police NSFs are selected based on their aptitude and skill sets. SC Tan, who works at the Threat Intelligence Centre under the police's Cybercrime Command, helps officers identify and disrupt scam websites. Examples include those impersonating celebrities and political leaders to sell cryptocurrency , or fraudulent imitations of banking sites. One morning, SC Tan's team detected a fake bank website phishing for customers' Internet banking details. They blocked it within minutes, before Internet activity increased during the morning rush hour. SC Tan, who will be pursuing a university degree in business artificial intelligence systems, said: 'My time here is quite fulfilling, because being able to block or disrupt these websites, I'm protecting local residents from being exposed to them.' SC Tan De Xun, 22, who works at the Threat Intelligence Centre under the police's Cybercrime Command, helps officers identify and disrupt scam websites. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO At the Anti-Scam Command, SC Irfan scours social media for scam activity such as accounts impersonating government officials. He then works with police officers to alert the respective social media platforms, which are obliged under the Online Criminal Harms Act to act promptly. A common scam he deals with are fraudulent social media posts linked to CDC vouchers, which lure users to click on phishing links. In February, the police warned members of the public to be cautious of such scams , noting victims may come across Instagram posts that prompt them to claim their CDC vouchers via a fake RedeemSG link. SC Irfan said the challenge of cyber combat is dealing with scam accounts which pop up repeatedly. He said: 'Fighting scammers is like killing a hydra. You take down one head, two more appear. 'Whenever I take down a scam account, a few days later, or maybe even in a few hours, I would see another account with a very similar name.' But having witnessed his family members and friends fall prey to other scams, SC Irfan said he does not want others to experience the same ordeal. He added: 'I don't like to see people I care about feel helpless. So, my solution is to work directly in the area that might affect more of them in the future.' SC Irfan, whose childhood dream was to be a police officer, added: 'Even though I'm not down (on the ground) patrolling or fighting criminals in operations, I am doing what I can with my capabilities.'


AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Britain's foreign minister meets Chinese counterpart at Asean, World News
PUBLISHED ON July 12, 2025 3:25 AM British foreign minister David Lammy said on Friday (July 11) that he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the Southeast Asian block Asean's summit in Malaysia. They discussed bilateral issues and areas where there is disagreement which including the ongoing detention of jailed Hong Kong activist and former media tycoon Jimmy Lai, according to a post on Lammy's X account. [[nid:719289]] ASEANBritainchinaminister