STORY 89

I worked for a large department store in the UK in 2018 and felt forced to sign an NDA. I had no help from my union and went through the process alone. I had only just joined the store and was being texted my shifts each week. My second week I hadn't been sent my shifts and I didn't chase them as I was reporting my sexual assault to the police and it was a really traumatic period. I was then told off for not having chased them for my shifts even though it was my supervisors responsibility to share the shift patterns with the team. I had a meeting in the office and once I had disclosed that I had reported my sexual offence to the police they said 'you have a lot going on right now, it's best you don't work here'. They then didn't pay me what I was owed for 6+ months and would only pay me if I agreed to sign the NDA. I was young and didn't know my rights and was unsupported. I know now I should have challenged them and refused the NDA. My pay was withheld until I signed the NDA. The NDA was for me not to talk about my employment or treatment and not to talk about the 6 months it took to get the pay I was owed and that it was only paid in cash following me signing the NDA. I had to go in-store to pick up the envelope of cash. It really impacted me in following jobs as I was terrified I would be let go if they found out I was a victim of rape. It also financially impacted me as I had to wait so many months to receive the pay I was owed.