It might seem like there isn't much of an overlap between Alicia Carpenter, Gretchen Carlson, Julie Roginsky and Nicole Kidman, but you'd be wrong. Despite their differing backgrounds, each is working towards the same goal — creating more inclusive workplaces for women.

Whether as the head of a production studio, a tutoring company or even a nonprofit dedicated to improving office cultures, the mission of increasing female perspectives across the working world is the same. 

For this year's Women's History Month, and in advance of International Women's Day, reporters with Employee Benefit News dove into trends impacting women in the workplace, ranging from retirement preparation to the skepticism surrounding health issues and more.

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned from office in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal. Now, he’s back and running for mayor of New York City. And he’s not the only one, other so-called “canceled” men from Hollywood, media and politics are being welcomed back to the public sphere. So what’s happened to the Me Too Movement? Audie talks with the founder of ‘Me Too’, Tarana Burke, and former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, about backlash, regrets, and the work they’re doing to move forward.

International Women's Day on March 8th is a day to celebrate the achievements of women. And while there is a lot to celebrate out loud, we also learned from #MeToo that there is a lot that has been silenced. On this episode of ESG Currents, Senior ESG Analyst Rob Du Boff chats with renowned journalist Gretchen Carlson about how forced arbitration and non-disclosure agreements are used to silence victims of workplace misconduct, why this is a risk for both investors and employees, her own experience with this problem, and the work of her organization Lift Our Voices to end it.

Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky came from different professional backgrounds, but they both landed high-profile jobs on the highly rated Fox News Channel in the days of power broker Roger Ailes.

Carlson had been named Miss America, while Roginsky was a longtime political operative for Democrats.

Eventually they both filed sexual harassment lawsuits and signed non-disclosure agreementsthat prevent them from talking about what happened to them at Fox News.

Today, they have created a nonprofit known as Lift Our Voices and are trying to ban non-disclosure agreements, known as NDAs, in Connecticut to prevent others from experiencing what they had to endure. The agreements, they say, are used by employers to keep workers silent after sexual harassment and discrimination.

The legislature’s labor committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday on a bill that says employers cannot “require or request a prospective, current or former employee or independent contractor to enter into an agreement containing a provision that is void” under the law.

New York has led the nation on many civil rights issues. But it’s falling behind in protecting survivors of workplace abuse, harassment or discrimination. States across the country have passed legislation to eradicate nondisclosure agreements for toxic workplace issues, and New York should follow suit. 

Through Lift Our Voices, co-founders Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky are organizing communities to change laws and policies, advocating for survivors, and promoting awareness for a safer and more inclusive workplace environment. Gretchen and Julie joined Jaime Klein of Inspire Human Resources for "Inspired Leadership" to talk about how non-disclosure agreements and forced arbitration clauses in employee contracts can be hindering a company’s commitment to transparency. They introduce the LOV Where You Work Survey and Index, which will help companies assess and improve their practices regarding workplace harassment and discrimination.

Gen Z is reshaping the workforce, prioritizing transparency, accountability, and fairness when choosing where to work. Companies that embrace openness will not only attract top talent but also foster stronger, more engaged teams. At Lift Our Voices, we’re helping employers create workplace cultures built on trust—free from excessive NDAs and forced arbitration clauses that can deter the best and brightest. Our #LOVWhereYouWork Index provides the insights companies need to meet the expectations of today’s workforce.Want to recruit and retain the next generation of leaders? Let’s build workplaces where people feel valued and heard.

Fox News alum Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky react to his confirmation. In 2022, the United States Senate voted unanimously to pass our Speak Out Act, which bans non-disclosure agreements for sexual misconduct. Last Friday, the United States Senate voted to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, even though he has been credibly accused of sexual misconduct and has admitted to using a non-disclosure agreement to cover it up.  

Nondisclosure agreements and mandatory arbitration have become rampant in the workplace, according to a new survey of job seekers. A second survey found that employees who sue in court get higher payouts than those required to pursue claims through arbitration.

The research papers by Mark Gough, an assistant professor of labor and employment relations at Penn State University, expose how widely companies have adopted mechanisms to silence employees and dictate the terms by which allegations of workplace misconduct are resolved.

In six days, Donald Trump, an adjudicated sexual assailant, will take the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States. If Trump has his way, his Cabinet will be stacked with men and women with troubling personal histories. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for secretary of Defense whose confirmation hearing is Tuesday, has admitted to using a nondisclosure agreement to cover up a rape allegation.

Corporate America has a transparency problem. According to the Deloitte Insights 2024 Global Human Capital Trends, 86% of leaders surveyed “say that the more transparent the organization is, the greater the workforce trust.” Yet the vast majority of those same leaders are doing little to foster transparency or trust within their organizations by using silencing mechanisms like forced arbitration and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to prevent their workers from revealing workplace toxicity from the moment they sign onboarding paperwork. 

Lift Our Voices is thrilled to be part of Melinda French Gates’ transformative $150M donation supporting women in the workplace. Her latest initiative through Pivotal Ventures will fund nonprofits driving gender equity and breaking barriers in professional spaces.

As one of the recipients, the funding will help amplify LOV's mission to create safer, more inclusive workplaces for everyone.

A common misconception among many employees who sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) is that the contract is only to ensure workers won’t publicly share client information or undisclosed company intel (such as product launches, funding announcements, pre-patented discoveries, and so on).

Lift Our Voices (LOV), a workers’ rights advocacy group founded by former Fox News hosts Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky, has announced a new index to hold employers accountable for how they handle discrimination and harassment.

Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson's advocacy group is launching a new corporate scorecard to shine a light on the secretive practices companies use to silence workers about sexual harassment and discrimination.

Why it matters: The idea behind the Lift Our Voices scoring system is to track employers' use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and forced arbitration (secret courts outside the public system) — similar to how other surveys examine benefits like health insurance or paid leave.

With the recent indictment of Sean “Diddy” Combs, yet another high-profile man has been credibly accused of horrific sexual assault and misconduct, paving the way for another major industry to have its #MeToo moment. 

In 2016, Gretchen Carlson sparked a national conversation about workplace harassment and forced arbitration. Today, she’s driving real change with the passage of the Ending Forced Arbitration Act and leading Lift Our Voices to bring transparency and equality to workplaces. Her interview with Moira Forbes highlights her continued efforts to protect workers' rights, including her push for new legislation to protect the rights of American workers.

A federal appeals court’s rejection of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.'s attempt to force a former worker’s sexual harassment and assault claims into arbitration under a landmark 2022 law because of timing sets the stage for more showdowns as judges further assess the statute’s reach.

In March 2022, Congress enacted a law limiting employers’ ability to mandate that employees pursue sexual assault or harassment claims through arbitration, rather than in court. The legislation was championed by former Fox News hosts Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky, whose nonprofit, Lift Our Voices, advocates to end employment clauses that prevent workers from going public with claims about toxic workplaces.

The case is among the first to apply the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which took effect in 2022.