Starting January 1, 2025, businesses settling disputes with consumers cannot condition any refund or other consideration on a consumer agreeing not to make statements about the business, regardless of the sentiment or accuracy of those statements. The text of the new Cal. Civ. Code § 1748.50 can be found here.
An NDA that prevents an employee from working in their profession or field of trade may be considered a non-compete agreement. In California, non-compete agreements are more rarely enforceable. NDAs can also not be used to prevent the reporting of illegal activity or to silence whistleblowers.
You do not need a lawyer to create and sign a non-disclosure agreement. However, if the information you are trying to protect is important enough to warrant an NDA, you may want to have the document reviewed by someone with legal expertise.
NDAs should have a clear description of the purpose, parties, and duration they cover. Specifying time limits or periods that your employees are subject to confidentiality is particularly important to ensure your NDA is enforceable in California. The typical time period is one to five years.
Various whistleblower laws protect employees who have signed non-disclosure agreements and find whistleblowing necessary to right the wrongs of their employers. For instance, California law deems unenforceable NDAs that require employees to keep quiet about harassment, discrimination, or unlawful workplace activity.
Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are legal documents that establish contractual conditions for the exchange of information where a disclosing party shares confidential information with a receiving party. The NDA defines information that the parties wish to protect from dissemination and outlines restrictions on use.