July 2023: New Poll: Americans Support Our Efforts to Eliminate Toxicity Nationwide
Dear Friend,
Since its founding nearly four years ago, Lift Our Voices has been committed to changing and improving workplace culture across the nation. We have started a national conversation about the harmful effects of workplace silencing mechanisms and continue to spearhead federal laws, campaign for workers’ rights, educate the public, and research the impact of nondisclosure agreements and forced arbitration provisions.
According to a new poll, Americans across the nation and the political spectrum support our mission.
The survey, conducted between May 30-June 1 by Morning Consult on behalf of Lift Our Voices, found that a majority (54%) of adults across the political spectrum support more action from Congress to protect workers from on-the-job discrimination and harassment, including nearly two-thirds (64%) of those who identified as survivors of workplace discrimination or sexual misconduct.
In 2022, we were proud to spearhead two bipartisan laws to eradicate forced arbitration and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) for sexual misconduct:
Our Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which eradicates forced arbitration for survivors of sexual misconduct, is supported by a majority (57%) of all adults, including a majority of both Democrats (73%) and Republicans (51%).
Our Speak Out Act, which ends the use of pre-dispute NDAs for survivors and witnesses of sexual misconduct, is supported by 62% of all adults, including a majority (81%) of Democrats and Republicans (54%).
More than two-thirds of all Americans agree that survivors of discrimination based on race/ethnicity, age, religion, gender, or sexual orientation should all be allowed to sue in open court for their claims, instead of being forced into arbitration.
Similarly, a majority of Americans say that they would like to eradicate NDAs for toxic workplace issues. Of the U.S. adults who have signed an NDA with their current employer, an overwhelming majority (64%) would like the ability to opt out of theirs and more than half (54%) say they would like their employer to end the practice of using NDAs altogether.
The survey also found that most incidents of sexual misconduct and discrimination are underreported in the workplace, particularly among women, and have a negative impact on survivors’ mental health:
Nearly 3 in 10 women report having personally experienced sexual harassment, abuse, or assault in the workplace, along with 19% of men. But a majority of female survivors (54%) choose not to report their experiences. Among the most prevalent reasons for not reporting the misconduct are that survivors believe nothing helpful would be done (50%) or because they fear retaliation (42%).
Sexual harassment has a large impact on survivors’ mental health: 75% of female survivors and 78% of male survivors report that it affects their mental health, including 37% of men and 36% of women saying that it affects their mental health greatly.
Nearly 3 in 10 Americans say they have faced discrimination or unfair treatment at work because of their gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status, with nearly equal numbers among men (28%) and women (29%).
These survey results are a clear roadmap for what we must all join together to do: ensure that everyone is able to speak about incidents of workplace toxicity without fear of retaliation. Your continued support remains crucial in achieving the goal of creating a more respectful workplace and in ending the silencing of American workers.
Sincerely,
— Gretchen Carlson & Julie Roginsky | Co-founders, Lift Our Voices