Uber Ends Forced Arbitration For Sexual Assault Claims

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Ride-share company Uber announced a number of new safety initiatives Tuesday, including the end of forced arbitration for victims of sexual assault or sexual harassment by Uber drivers, riders or employees.

Uber also announced it would no longer require a confidentiality provision in sexual harassment or sexual assault settlements.

Susan Fowler, a former Uber engineer and whistleblower, whose blog post on the sexual harassment she suffered at the company led to a series of changes at Uber has long advocated for the end of the practice. Fowler's lawyers took up the issue of mandatory arbitration in tech companies with the Supreme Court in August.

Uber chief legal officer, Tony West, wrote the following about ending forced arbitration:

Arbitration has an important role in the American justice system and includes many benefits for individuals and companies alike. Arbitration is not a settlement (cases are decided on their merits), and, unless the parties agree to keep the process confidential, it does not prevent survivors from speaking out about their experience.

But we have learned it’s important to give sexual assault and harassment survivors control of how they pursue their claims. 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. Whatever they decide, they will be free to tell their story wherever and however they see fit.

West also wrote that Uber will not require confidentiality provisions or non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment or assault cases.

"Whether to find closure, seek treatment, or become advocates for change themselves, survivors will be in control of whether to share their stories," West wrote. "Enabling survivors to make this choice will help to end the culture of silence that surrounds sexual violence."

Uber also highlighted measures it has already taken to ensure passenger safety and said it would be rolling out a new emergency button that can communicate a car's location to a 911 center. The company also said it will begin publishing a safety transparency report that will include data on sexual assaults and other incidents that take place on the Uber platform.

Patch will update this report.

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