#ARMeToo Continues - Part II
This blog is a follow up to my most recent blog which can be found here, as well as to several other blogs that I have written on topic of inappropriate workplace conduct in our movement which can be found here, here, and here.
In my last blog I wrote about some recent cases in the United States and Canada regarding how allegations of sexual harassment have been treated, and about how they should be treated. I also provided a list of Actionable Tips for Employers who are committed to ensuring that their workplaces are as healthy as possible.
One such tip was to ensure that organizations not silence employees or former employees who have been victims of harassment or discrimination.
This importance of this continues to reinforced. The most recent decision was a settlement agreement in connection with two former employees of Pinterest, Ifeoma Ozoma and Aerica Shimizu Banks, where the findings included that:
“executives perpetrated or knowingly ignored the long-standing and systemic culture of discrimination and retaliation at Pinterest."
Pinterest released ALL employees from their NDAs, citing the Silence No More Act in California that empowers workers to be able to speak out. And, as activists ourselves, we know that silence only emboldens the oppressor.
For a movement that is committed to never silencing the oppressed, it is incumbent on all organizations to voluntarily release employees from oppressive NDAs.
This blog is provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any kind. No one should act, or refrain from acting, based solely upon the materials provided on this website, any hypertext links or other general information without first seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice.
The intention of this blog is to promote the longevity and engagement level of the activist community within the Animal Advocacy Movement (AAM). The majority of the advice will be geared towards employees within the AAM in Canada and the United States, but may be applicable to other countries.
Krista is the Executive Director of For The Greater Good where she consults with animal protection organizations across North America on matters of organizational development and governance. In addition to holding five degrees and designations in human resources, including a master’s degree in organizational development and leadership, she is pursuing her doctorate focused on the employment experiences of animal rights activists in Canada and the United States. Krista first joined the Animal Advocacy Movement as the VP of Mercy For Animals in Canada where she led twelve undercover investigations into factory farms and slaughterhouses. Krista also served as the President of the Board for Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary for over five years, also now serves on several other Boards including One Protest, The Rancher Advocacy Program, Egg-Truth, and Dairy-Truth. Krista is also a member of Womxn Funders in Animal Rights. Krista is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Critical Animal Studies. Prior to joining the Movement, Krista founded a boutique employment and labour law firm in Toronto where she consulted to employers across Canada and the U.S. for a decade, and before that she spent fifteen years in human resources including as the Vice President of HR for one of the largest software companies in the world.