Silicon Valley Arbitration Clauses

The NY Times today described the increasing use of arbitration clauses for Silicon Valley and other similar start-up firms.  This issue is nothing new to readers of this post, but it perhaps shows that even Silicon Valley isn't immune from broader workplace trends (although they certainly put a nicer spin on it).  As always, the devil is likely in the details.  Workers represented by experienced unions tend to fare well under arbitration systems, while individual employees--or those trying to form class actions--are far less likely to see the benefits of one-sided arbitration agreements.  As the article notes, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking new rules for commercial arbitration, but aside from the NLRB, there seems little that agencies are doing for employees.

-Jeff Hirsch