On-Demand Webinar: Politics at Work—The Legal and Reputational Risks of Political and Social Activism by Employees

Just days after the riot at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, reports began spreading on social media of individuals who were present at the Capitol being terminated by their employers.

Fired workers, some of whom appeared in photos and videos carrying nooses and confederate flags or wearing clothing with anti-Semitic messages, said they were merely exercising their constitutionally protected free-speech rights and that their firings amounted to illegal retaliation by their employers. Employers saw something very different—workers engaged in activities that were incompatible with corporate values and endangered their reputations and customer relationships.

• Do employers have a right to take action against employees who engage in controversial speech or other activities outside the workplace?
• Where do employees’ free speech rights begin and end?
• Must employers police their workers’ political conversations around the water cooler or what radio stations they listen to in their individual workspaces?
• And how do employers strike the correct balance between treating workers lawfully and respecting diversity of thought, and protecting their revenues and reputations from harm?

Watch our webinar to learn more about the growing risks and how to keep your organization out of the public spotlight—and out of court—at the same time.