Ex-Fox host backs bill aimed at nondisclosure agreements

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson is joining California Democrats to promote a bill aimed at protecting workers from required arbitration or nondisclosure agreements.

Carlson said Wednesday that such agreements protect sexual harassers.

Carlson made headlines in 2016 when she said publicly she was fired from Fox News for rejecting sexual advances by the network’s CEO Roger Ailes.

AB3080 would bar employers from requiring as a condition of employment forced arbitration agreements that can compel employees to settle workplace complaints instead of going to court.

It would also prohibit employers from forcing people into nondisclosure agreements related to sexual misconduct to get or keep a job.

The California Chamber of Commerce has labeled the bill a “job killer” and argues it would make handling workplace complaints more difficult.