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.
In California, a nondisclosure agreement may be enforceable, provided it meets basic criteria. The restrictive covenant must be properly drafted. This entails clear writing, detailed information about the confidential components of the contract, and a clearly stated extent of the confidentiality obligation.
California Laws on Non-Disclosure Agreements Additionally, an NDA must be reasonable in scope and duration to be enforceable, and it must not be contrary to public policy or violate any laws. The California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (CUTSA) also provides specific requirements for NDAs that protect trade secrets.
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.
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.
A nondisclosure agreement—also sometimes referred to as a confidentiality agreement, secrecy agreement, or proprietary information agreement—can be used between a business entity and an individual, between individuals, or between business entities.
A nondisclosure agreement—also sometimes referred to as a confidentiality agreement, secrecy agreement, or proprietary information agreement—can be used between a business entity and an individual, between individuals, or between business entities.
NDA's are legal mechanisms to protect sensitive corporate information from disclosure to outsiders. It is not a personal mechanism to prevent gossip or bad post break up behavior, there is simply no way of enforcing this. It is an invalid use of the concept.