Uber said Tuesday it will no longer require mandatory arbitration for individual claims of sexual harassment or assault by its riders, drivers or employees as…
Uber said Tuesday it will no longer require mandatory arbitration for individual claims of sexual harassment or assault by its riders, drivers or employees as the company announced new safety measures to combat sexual violence in its vehicles.
“We have learned it’s important to give sexual assault and harassment survivors control of how they pursue their claims,” the rideshare company said in a statement from its chief legal officer, Tony West.
“So moving forward, survivors will be free to choose to resolve their individual claims in the venue they prefer: in a mediation where they can choose confidentiality; in arbitration, where they can choose to maintain their privacy while pursuing their case; or in open court,” West wrote on the company’s blog . “Whatever they decide, they will be free to tell their story wherever and however they see fit.”
Uber also announced other company policy changes regarding sexual violence.
Victims of sexual assault or harassment will now have the option to settle claims with the ride-hailing service without a confidentiality provision that prevents them from speaking about the incident, the company said.
“[D]ivulging the details of what happened in a sexual assault or harassment should be up to the survivor, not us,” West said. “So we’re making it clear that Uber will not require confidentiality provisions or non-disclosure agreements to prevent survivors from talking about the facts of what happened to them.”
West added: “Whether to find closure, seek treatment, or become advocates for change themselves, survivors will be in control of whether to share their stories. Enabling survivors to make this choice will help to end the culture of silence that surrounds sexual violence.”
In its announcement, Uber said the company is committing to publishing a “safety transparency report that will include data on sexual assault and other incidents that occur on the Uber platform.”
Uber said it’s also rolling out “a new emergency button in the app that can automatically communicate the car’s location to a 911 center.”
