Lift Our Voices Joins Bipartisan Lawmakers and AARP to Introduce Bill Protecting Older Workers from Age Discrimination
For Immediate Release: June 14, 2023
Contact: JON CARVALHO
Lift Our Voices Joins Bipartisan Lawmakers and AARP to Introduce Bill Protecting Older Workers from Age Discrimination
Bipartisan Protecting Older Americans Act will eliminate forced arbitration clauses for age discrimination at Work
Washington, D.C. – Today, Lift Our Voices co-founders Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky joined bipartisan Senators and Representatives, and the AARP for the introduction of the Protecting Older Americans Act. The federal legislation would eliminate the use of forced arbitration clauses to silence survivors of age discrimination at work.
The Protecting Older Americans Act was announced this afternoon by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and would allow survivors of age-based discrimination to take up their claims in open court and speak openly about their experiences. According to an AARP study, roughly 1 in 3 older workers report having heard negative comments about an older co-worker's age in the last two years. Sixty million Americans are bound by forced arbitration clauses that have long been used to silence survivors of these kinds of workplace abuses.
Just last year, Lift Our Voices worked to pass two landmark laws aimed at protecting the American workplace. The bipartisan Ending Forced Arbitration for Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, was signed by President Biden in March of 2022 and eliminated forced arbitration for survivors of sexual misconduct. A second #MeToo bill, the Speak Out Act, ended the use of NDAs for survivors and witnesses of sexual misconduct and was signed by the President in December 2022. Both bills are the culmination of years of advocacy by Carlson and Roginsky, co-founders of Lift Our Voices. The organization launched its Know Your Rights campaign in February to educate workers about their new rights following the passage of the Ending Forced Arbitration for Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act.
“Ending the use of forced arbitration in cases of age discrimination will create safer work environments and protect millions of people,” said Gretchen Carlson. “The Protecting Older Americans Act builds off of the two laws we championed last year and is the next step for Lift Our Voices in its mission to create safer workplaces for all.”
“No one should ever be forced from a job because their employer thinks they have aged out,” said Julie Roginsky. “This bill ensures that older workers are free from the secret chamber of forced arbitration that exists to cover up behavior that harms older survivors.”
“Three out of four older workers have seen or experienced age discrimination on the job, but too often cannot pursue justice because of forced arbitration, a secretive and unfair process that strips hard-working Americans of their constitutional right to a jury trial,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The bipartisan Protecting Older Americans Act would ban forced arbitration in cases of age discrimination, enabling victims the chance to file their cases in court if they so choose, and giving them a voice in the process. Employers should no longer be able to use forced arbitration to hide illegal conduct. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with my colleagues and I am optimistic we can pass this critical reform this Congress.”
“While I support arbitration as a means for resolving disputes, the idea of people signing away their legal rights in employment contracts, and other situations where there is an imbalance of power, is unacceptable. Age discrimination is real, and I believe people should have access to court rooms in such situations,” said Senator Graham.
ABOUT LOV
Lift Our Voices was launched in December 2019 to create positive, systemic change in American workplaces through the eradication of nondisclosure agreements for toxic work issues and mandatory arbitration clauses. Created and launched by Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky, and Diana Falzone, LOV’s mission is to protect American workers by giving those in toxic work environments the freedom to speak freely about their workplace experiences and free them from the laws and business practices that prevent employees from publicly discussing toxic workplace conditions.
For more information on Lift Our Voices, visit https://www.liftourvoices.org/ and visit their Facebook and Twitter pages.