“Will my employer know it’s me?”
Only with your consent, except as required by law or court order.
🛡 Your Name and Contact Details Are Withheld From the Employer
When you submit a concern, your name and contact details are not sent to the employer by the platform unless you agree, or the law or a court requires it, under the Terms. Your description may still identify you, so read the preview before you send it.
🔒 Your Employer Sees Only What You Approve
Before your concern is sent to the employer, you’ll see a preview of what they’ll receive. The employer gets the categories you selected, the description you wrote, and, if you filled them in, whether the issue is ongoing, what you would like to happen, and what documentation you have, each as written. The platform does not show the employer your name, email address, or phone number, on the submission or on anything you later send through the platform. If your description identifies you, the employer will see that.
⚖ Confidentiality Framework
Before a mediator is involved. What is written through the platform, including waitlist signups and any pre-launch correspondence, is confidential from outsiders under the Terms. Wiser Workplace agrees not to share it with third parties, your employer agrees to the same before it can read it, and you agree too, with the exceptions the law protects, such as talking to your own lawyer, a government agency, or your coworkers about your working conditions. That promise is about outsiders. It does not stop either side from using what was written through the platform in a later proceeding, so write with that in mind. After an employer first replies, the messages the two sides exchange while trying to settle are meant to be settlement talks under California Evidence Code section 1152. That rule can keep them from being used to prove who was at fault. It does not cover the first submission, the employer's first reply, or any message that itself reports conduct the writer has reasonable cause to believe is unlawful, and a court decides what it covers. Section 1152 is an admissibility rule rather than a privilege: it does not itself make anything confidential and it does not bar discovery, which is why, before a mediator is involved, the confidentiality comes from the Terms and not from the statute.
Once a mediator is engaged. At launch, when both sides choose an independent California mediator and the mediation begins, what is said and written for that mediation is additionally protected under California Evidence Code section 1119, within the wider framework of sections 1115 to 1128. Section 1119 makes anything said, and any writing prepared, for the purpose of, in the course of, or pursuant to a mediation inadmissible and not subject to discovery in a noncriminal proceeding, and keeps communications between participants confidential, subject to the exceptions the chapter itself sets out. No mediation has begun yet, so that protection has not attached. The platform introduces the parties to the mediator; the mediator conducts the mediation.
Evid. Code § 1152 (pre-launch); Evid. Code §§ 1115–1128, principally § 1119 (at launch)
“What if my employer retaliates?”
Retaliation for a protected complaint is illegal. The platform records timestamps and nothing else.
🚫 Retaliation Is Illegal
California and federal law prohibit retaliation for many kinds of workplace complaints, including adverse action such as termination, demotion, pay cuts or schedule changes taken because of a protected complaint. Not every complaint is protected, and the platform cannot tell you whether yours is. If you believe you have been retaliated against, talk to a lawyer of your own choosing.
California Labor Code § 1102.5 (whistleblower protection) • Government Code § 12940(h) (FEHA anti-retaliation) • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
📋 Documented Trail
The platform records when each action happens. It does nothing else about retaliation. What you and your employer write on the platform is confidential from outsiders under the Terms; the Terms always let you talk to your own lawyer, go to a government agency, and testify under oath.
How Wiser Workplace Adds to Your Options
Traditional Options
- Internal HR processes may not feel neutral to you
- Internal complaints can become discoverable in litigation
- Traditional legal options vary in cost, from hourly representation to contingency-fee and limited-scope arrangements
- Litigation can take years and involves public court filings
- Government agency processes can take many months or longer
With Wiser Workplace
- A platform independent of both you and your employer
- What you and your employer write on the platform is confidential from outsiders under the Terms; the Terms always let you talk to your own lawyer, go to a government agency, and testify under oath
- Structured, confidential response channel
- Retaliation for a protected complaint is illegal under California and federal law
- Employer must accept Terms of Service (including confidentiality) before seeing any details
- At launch, employees use the platform without a subscription
- Timelines depend on the parties and the matter; no timeline is promised
What Happens After You Submit
Timeline
You Tell Us What Happened
Your submission is encrypted and stored securely. Your name and contact details are withheld from the employer. Your employer cannot see anything at this point.
We Review
Wiser Workplace checks that the employer you identified can be reached and that the submission is complete. The summary the employer receives is built from the categories you selected, the description you wrote, and, if you filled them in, whether the issue is ongoing, what you would like to happen, and what documentation you have. We never alter your account of what happened.
Employer Notified
The employer receives your description as you wrote it, with the categories you selected. They must accept the Terms of Service, including the confidentiality provisions, before seeing any details.
Resolution Process Begins
The platform provides a confidential message channel between you and the employer. What you and your employer write on the platform is confidential from outsiders under the Terms; the Terms always let you talk to your own lawyer, go to a government agency, and testify under oath. No mediation has begun yet. At launch, once both sides choose a mediator, California's mediation confidentiality applies to that mediation.
If the Employer Does Not Engage
If your employer does not engage, we notify you and provide all your case documentation so you can explore other options.
Resolution or Next Steps
Timelines depend on the parties and the matter; no timeline is promised. You are encouraged to have any proposed agreement reviewed by your own legal counsel before signing. If the process doesn’t resolve your concern, the case closes unresolved; what you and your employer wrote on the platform remains confidential from outsiders under the Terms; the Terms always let you talk to your own lawyer, go to a government agency, and testify under oath.
Before a mediator is involved, confidentiality comes from the Terms and is against outsiders only; either side can use what was written in a later proceeding. California's mediation confidentiality applies once a mediator is engaged at launch.
“What about my data?”
We store what the platform needs and anonymize it on the schedule in the Privacy Policy.
🗄 Clear Retention & Deletion
Active case data is retained while your case is open. After a case is resolved or closed, personally identifiable information is targeted for anonymization beginning 90 days after closure; batch processing can take up to 30 more days. Non-identifying metadata (such as case category and resolution type) may be retained. You can request deletion at any time. We respond within 30 days and will confirm in writing that your data has been handled.
🔐 How We Secure Your Information
Data is encrypted in transit; sensitive data is encrypted at rest. We process sensitive data on our servers, not in your browser. We use industry-standard hosting providers and payment processors that maintain their own security certifications. Access to case data is limited to authorized personnel only.
💰 How We Make Money (Not From You)
At launch, employees use Wiser Workplace without a subscription. Subscribing employers cover the platform cost. We never sell your data. We never show you ads. Our revenue at launch comes from employer subscriptions only.
Common Questions
Is this really free?
At launch, employees use the platform without a subscription. Subscribing employers cover the platform cost. We designed it this way because the employee should not have to pay to raise a workplace concern.
Is Wiser Workplace on the employer’s side?
No. We are a resolution platform; the mediator the parties select is independent of both sides. We don’t advocate for either side. We don’t evaluate whether your complaint has merit. Our role is to facilitate communication and help both sides reach a resolution. If we favored one side, the other would stop using the platform.
Can my employer see my full submission?
No. The employer receives the categories you selected, the description you wrote, and, if you filled them in, whether the issue is ongoing, what you would like to happen, and what documentation you have; each is sent as written. The platform does not show the employer your name, email address, or phone number, on the submission or on anything you later send through the platform. If your description identifies you, the employer will see that. You’ll see a preview of what the employer will receive before anything is sent.
What if I need a lawyer?
You can talk to a lawyer of your choosing at any time. What you and your employer write on the platform is confidential from outsiders under the Terms; the Terms always let you talk to your own lawyer, go to a government agency, and testify under oath. Nothing in the Terms limits a disclosure the law protects. If you and the employer reach a written agreement, that agreement is a contract between you, have your own attorney review it before signing. We’ll provide you with all your case documentation.
What if my employer ignores the complaint?
If the employer does not respond, we notify you and provide all your case documentation and resources. We do not leave you hanging.
Can I withdraw my complaint?
Yes. You can withdraw at any time by emailing support@wiserworkplace.com; at launch, you will also be able to withdraw through the platform. Your data will be handled according to our retention policy (or you can request deletion).
How is this different from hiring an attorney or going to court?
Litigation is adversarial, expensive, and public. Wiser Workplace is a private, contractually confidential channel designed to help you and your employer engage early without a courtroom. The platform records when each step happens; it records when a reply comes, and when none has come, and does not promise one. At launch, once both sides choose a mediator, California's mediation confidentiality applies to that mediation. Actual timing in any specific matter depends on the parties and the concern. If the platform channel doesn’t resolve your concern, you can still pursue other options. Using the platform does not pause any legal deadline, and what is written through the platform is confidential from outsiders under the Terms, which expressly preserve your right to file with government agencies (EEOC, CRD, DLSE, NLRB, OSHA), to disclose FEHA-protected unlawful acts under Cal. Gov. Code § 12964.5 (Silenced No More Act), to disclose factual information about sexual assault or sexual harassment under CCP § 1001, to engage in NLRA Section 7 concerted activity, and to make any whistleblower disclosure protected by federal or state law.