Government considers further curbs on non-disclosure agreements after Guardian investigation of TV personality
Ministers are looking at ways to change the law quickly to expand protections that stop non-disclosure agreements being used to cover up harassment or discrimination in the wake of the allegations about David Walliams.
This could involve extending measures that mean an NDA cannot be used this way to silence an employee so that it also applies to others, such as freelancers or volunteers.
Following an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News, which said Walliams used his power and status to prey on young women for sex, there have been reports that NDAs were used by an employer to silence at least one woman connected to him.
Walliams, one of Britain’s best-known television personalities and a top-selling children’s author, denies any wrongdoing.
The Employment Rights Act bars NDAs being used to stop employees disclosing possible harassment or discrimination, and a recent government consultation looked at the idea of extending this protection more widely.
Such moves are expected to be speeded up after a planned meeting next week between Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, and representatives from TV and film – both of which rely heavily on freelance or contract staff – as well as publishing and sport, to discuss possible new protections.
