The Senate passed legislation prohibiting the compulsory arbitration of sexual assault and harassment cases in the workplace

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- On Thursday, the Senate passed a "voice vote" bill designed to protect Americans from complaining after sexual assault or harassment in the workplace. Because the bill was previously passed in the House of Representatives by 335 votes in favor of 97 against, it will become formal law after President Biden signs into force.

Since the outbreak of the MeToo movement, issues related to sexual harassment, assault and other misconduct in the workplace that are difficult to reach court have begun to receive high attention. In particular, the "compulsory arbitration" clause in many employment contracts has forced victims of many related cases to be forced to undergo arbitration procedures in private arbitration or confidential hearings.

Pramila Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Democrat Caucus, has previously said that more than 60 million Americans' employment contracts are subject to mandatory arbitration clauses, meaning they cannot seek justice for themselves when they encounter sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.

According to a summary of the bill released by Congress, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 will allow victims of sexual harassment and assault to file cases in federal, state, and local courts and prohibit forced arbitration of these cases. The bill, which has taken more than four years since its inception, will provide a systematic overhaul of the rights of victims of sexual harassment and assault in the United States, but will not cover any cases in which compulsory arbitration procedures have previously been completed.

As one of the bill's promoters in the Senate, Republican Lindsey Graham said the arbitration system tends to favor companies, which is unfair to victims of sexual assault and harassment, and that the passage of the bill will effectively address the issue.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also welcomed the bill. "We must not continue to ignore the seriously erroneous impact of compulsory arbitration on sexual harassment and assault cases," he said. When employees, especially women, face harassment or assault by their employers, forced arbitration can put them at a disadvantage, and perpetrators rarely take on due responsibility. ”