In recent years, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have become overwhelmingly common as employers ask workers to sign broad contracts. These agreements have grown to cover what employees experience generally in the workpalce and become controversial. Critics argue this makes employees reluctant to speak up regarding workplace misconduct and can be used as a tool to intimidate workers. However, one of the reasons employers have stated in favor of these onboarding agreements is to avoid public embarrassment. In sixteen states, new regulations have been passed addressing NDAs.
See "Some state governments are strengthening regulations of workplace confidentiality agreements", Stephen Joyce, Bloomberg Law, September 27, 2022