Workplace sexual misconduct bill heads to Biden’s desk

The U.S. Senate passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act and the bill will now move to President Biden’s desk for signing, according to a CNN report. As one of the largest workplace reforms in decades, the bill bans forced arbitration in cases involving sexual misconduct and allows victims the option of bringing up the dispute in federal, tribal, or state court. The bipartisan legislation was approved by the House earlier this week by a 335–97 vote and by the Senate voice vote today. The bill was initially introduced in 2017 amid the rise of the #MeToo movement, which shined a light on these types of legal provisions in employment contracts, which prevent victims from being able to sue their perpetrators in court, instead confining them to often-secretive, costly proceedings that many say are biased toward corporations.