Alex Gumbs says he wants to settle the racial-discrimination complaint he brought this year against his former employer, Medtronic PLC. He also doesn’t want to be quiet about what he says he experienced as a Black employee at the medical-device maker. Because of a mechanism routinely used by U.S. companies, lawyers and employees to resolve such disputes, he believes he might not be able to do both. Companies have long relied on agreements with confidentiality provisions and nondisparagement clauses to settle discrimination and other workplace complaints. While some workers have appreciated settling a problem quietly, the deals usually put companies in the driver’s seat.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 20, 2020 15:33 UTC