The move comes simultaneously with Microsoft's endorsement of a bipartisan Senate bill, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act, that would ensure claims are addressed in court. As Senator Kirsten Gillibrand notes, this should prevent serial harassers from "climbing the corporate ladder" and let victims speak out. In theory, you should see fewer instances of toxic corporate culture where management tolerates or even perpetrates harassment knowing there will be few if any public consequences.

This doesn't mean that Microsoft is doing away with arbitration as a whole. It sees this as a "reasonable" complement to internal processes for other complaints. And that's unfortunate -- companies often prefer arbitration because it tends to artificially favor their side and maintain secrecy (hence why telecoms often force arbitration for disputes). However, the waiver could have a significant impact on sexual harassment claims at Microsoft and the tech industry at large. Victims may be more comfortable coming forward, and other companies might implement similar policies.