• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Commentaryforced arbitration agreements

Gretchen Carlson: The Supreme Court Tried to End #MeToo. Here’s How We’re Fighting Back.

By
Gretchen Carlson
Gretchen Carlson
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Gretchen Carlson
Gretchen Carlson
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 31, 2018, 11:06 AM ET

Last week, the #MeToo movement got a wake up call from the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Epic Systems Corp v. Lewis. The ruling allows companies to make forced arbitration a condition of employment, and prohibits workers from taking collective legal action against employers. It’s bad news for the 60 million Americans subject to forced arbitration, and even worse for the one in three women victimized by workplace sexual harassment.

But let me be clear: This is not the end of #MeToo or the empowerment revolution kicked off by my 2016 settlement with Roger Ailes. As I’ve said for many months, the first step is telling the truth—the next step is changing the system. Now our movement must shift course and focus relentlessly on one thing: fixing the law.

Forced arbitration is a sexual harasser’s best friend: It keeps proceedings secret, findings sealed, and victims silent. But its impact goes much further. Of the thousands of women I spoke to while writing Be Fierce, the vast majority who complained about harassment never worked in their chosen careers again. Blacklisting is common post-arbitration, because the facts don’t come out in trial, victims are silenced, and predators often keep their jobs. Guess who controls the narrative in that scenario? With the offended party out of the picture, workplaces become—in actor Asia Argento’s haunting words—a “hunting ground.”

I spent much of 2017 walking the halls of Congress, pushing legislators to take real, meaningful action to help harassment victims. Compromise may be the dirty c-word in politics today, but given the tidal wave of women coming forward, I felt a bi-partisan bill was possible. The issue attracts support from Democrats and Republicans alike because it’s impossible to rise up political ranks without being impacted by this crime. Predators don’t ask your party affiliation before they pounce—trust me, I’m a lifelong registered independent.

It was with immense pride that I joined legislators from both parties in December to introduce the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act,” which restores victims’ constitutional 7th Amendment right to a jury trial. Sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the bill now has 17 cosponsors. With the Supreme Court’s decision, my mission is to get it through Congress and down to the president’s desk for signature this year.

But this isn’t just an issue for Capitol Hill. Every statehouse must tackle forced arbitration, in its own halls and for constituents. In May, I traveled to California to support AB 3080, a bill authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher. AB 3080 prohibits employers from requiring arbitration as a condition of getting a job, keeping it, or receiving benefits. And it forbids employers from retaliating against those who decline to sign. This is a model piece of legislation that truly delivers for working women. Other states, take note.

 

Companies can and must also step up. Microsoft (MSFT) and Uber have both ended forced arbitration for sexual harassment claims, and any company trying to recruit talented women must do the same. It’s a differentiator, and trust me: The women are watching.

The Supreme Court’s ruling is a painful blow. But it tells us something important: Change doesn’t come from a hashtag—it comes from sustained political action by women (and men) from both parties. So take heart. This isn’t the end of anything; it’s the start of everything. Twenty-two months ago, I watched breaking news stories about me and my former boss scroll across my Facebook (FB), television, and Twitter (TWTR) feeds. I’d been fired after a 25-year career in journalism—a career I’d worked so damn hard to build. There was no #MeToo movement then, no #TimesUp pins, no nothing. It felt like the end of the road. It wasn’t. It’s time to organize, ladies. It’s time to be fierce.

Gretchen Carlson is an acclaimed TV journalist and women’s empowerment advocate. Her most recent book, Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back, was a New York Times bestseller

About the Authors
By Gretchen Carlson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

liberman
Commentarystart-ups
We watched social media concentrate. The same thing is happening in AI, only at a deeper layer
By David Liberman and Daniil LibermanMay 16, 2026
10 hours ago
olivier
CommentaryAnthropic
I’ve been studying Big Tech for a long time. What just happened with Anthropic and the Pentagon terrifies me
By Olivier SylvainMay 16, 2026
11 hours ago
lawyer
CommentaryLaw
Would you hire the lawyer who just got sanctioned for using AI?
By Alexandra SmythMay 16, 2026
13 hours ago
greg
Personal FinanceAviation
Mamdani’s New York is coming to tax your private jet. Here’s how to prepare
By Greg RaiffMay 16, 2026
14 hours ago
chase
CommentaryCities
San Francisco has $2 trillion in AI wealth and can’t fix its own city. That’s every city’s problem
By Chase GarbarinoMay 15, 2026
1 day ago
lori
Commentarymental health
I run Valvoline Instant Oil Change and work with young people every day. They’re in crisis—and we all have to try to help
By Lori FleesMay 15, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
11 hours ago
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
3 days ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
4 days ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
15 hours ago
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 15, 2026
1 day ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.