Using Social Media to Slam (Ex) Employers

Some employers are finding ways to keep the disaffected from using social media to spread negative comments. In a current case, the issue also arose in an ugly divorce case.

Basketball star Steve Nash (Los Angeles Lakers) and his ex-wife agreed to a gag order not to disparage one another. When his ex-wife deviated from the agreement on Twitter, the Arizona Court of Appeals held against her.

In the business world, business contracts, severance agreements, and the like sometimes include gag orders on disparging comments. Even in academia, anti-disparagement clauses can appear in contracts. (Check your contract.) But, in a developing area of law, the National Labor Relations Board in placing limits on how far an employer can go.

Good material for Legal Writing problems.

Here’s an informative article from the Phoenix Business Journal.

(ljs)