Ever since social networking became an issue requiring workplace policies, our Employers Counsel Network attorneys have disagreed on many finer points of what should be in such a policy but agree on at least one key element: Employees can be held responsible for and disciplined for posts that attack or disparage the company or a coworker. The idea is that employees will be held to the same code of conduct on the Internet (on sites where they affiliate themselves with work) as they would in the office.  Seems the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has something to say about that.

Last week, the NLRB filed a complaint against American Medical Response of Connecticut, Inc., alleging that it violated the National Labor Relations Act by firing an employee for Facebook postings that were critical of her supervisor and charging that the company’s blogging and Internet posting policies are “overly broad.” The Board is maintaining that the employee’s Facebook posts were “protected concerted activity.” read more…