New Survey Suggests Employees Are Signing NDAs After Workplace Incidents

Interesting results from this survey, are younger workers under pressure to keep quiet to save long term career prospects?

One in three Gen Z workers (34%) have signed non-disclosure agreements compelling them to keep quiet after suffering a workplace injury, new research commissioned by National Accident Helpline reveals today.

The survey of 2,000 UK company employees, conducted by Censuswide, suggests NDAs are being deployed across the workforce, from shop floors to boardrooms. But the figure showing the levels involving those least equipped to push back could cause most concern.

John Kushnick, Legal Director at National Accident Helpline, says: “A third of under-25s have signed an NDA or waiver following a workplace injury. These are young workers at the start of their careers, frequently without proper legal guidance, and many may believe they have signed away their right to claim compensation entirely but that isn’t necessarily the case. 

An NDA cannot lawfully prevent someone from reporting serious wrongdoing to the relevant authorities, and in many cases, it will not prevent a worker from pursuing a personal injury claim. Employers cannot use confidentiality agreements as a shield against legitimate claims. Every worker injured on the job needs to know they have rights and how to use them”

In London, nearly 1 in 3 workers (29%) has signed NDAs – also known as gagging clauses.

In the IT sector, the figure is 33%. Even in healthcare, nearly a quarter of workers (24%) report the same.

Male employees (22%) are almost twice as likely as women (12%) to have signed gagging agreements, likely reflecting their concentration in higher-risk industries. Among 18–24 year olds, 12% say they can’t even remember signing, which raises questions about what some workers understood when they put pen to paper.

This level of suppression sits within a broader picture of safety being treated as a formality rather than a genuine priority.

The research also found:

• More than half of British employees (56%) say their organisation’s health and safety measures feel like box-ticking rather than genuine care including 56% of HR professionals, the very people tasked with upholding it
• Four in ten employees (41%) have felt pushed to compromise on safety at work, and 18% say they went through with it to meet deadlines or targets
• One in five employees (19%) have personally covered medical costs for a work-related injury, averaging £267 out of pocket, rising to £555 among Baby Boomers

John Kushnick commented: “These findings paint a concerning picture of health and safety in British workplaces. While employers and HR professionals are seemingly disregarding the importance of a safe working environment, many employees feel they simply cannot afford to prioritise their own safety, as the cost of living means they have no choice but to stay in roles they know carry risks.