Why Bolthouse Farms’ New NDA Policy Matters

My interview with the Specialty Foods Association

I am happy to share this excellent interview with a reporter from the Specialty Foods Association about my work with the food company Bolthouse Farms to change its NDA policy in support of worker rights and transparency.

Bolthouse Farms has adopted a non-disclosure agreement  policy that sets an example for not only the rest of the food industry, but for businesses across industries, said Michele Simon, a consultant who worked with Bolthouse Farms on the policy.

Simon said many companies have historically used their NDA policies to prevent employees from speaking out against sexual harassment, discrimination, and other abuses in the workplace. Bolthouse Farms, by contrast, has implemented a policy based on Washington State law, which significantly narrows the scope of what NDAs can cover, so that employees are free to report workplace abuses, she said.

Simon, a public health attorney who also founded the Plant Based Foods Association, recently spoke with SFA News Daily about Bolthouse Farms’ policy.

What is it about Bolthouse Farms’ NDA policy that makes it so important?

Wherever a company is based, it is required to follow the laws of that jurisdiction. But Bolthouse is going further than that by essentially applying Washington state NDA policy to all of their employees. That's important because Washington state law is the strongest in the nation.

Bolthouse has most of its employees based in California, and It also has some operations in other states, but they’ve decided that all of their employees should benefit from the strongest law in the land in order to give their employees the ability to speak out about wrongdoing.

Read the rest at the Specialty Foods Association website.