Can a person in Georgia be reprimanded or terminated from a job for talking to a former employee about work?
Atlanta, GA
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Posted 4 months ago in Wrongful Termination
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A friend of mine was fired from work about a year ago. We kept in touch after her termination. During a phone conversation she asked me how everyone was doing at work and I told her that another girl at work almost got fired for misconduct. My friend, who is also mutual friends with my manager, asked her for more details on this subject. I was then pulled into a room by my manager and was told that if I spoke with this girl again I would be written up and if it was about a work related issue, I could then be fired.
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Answers (1)Lionel John Postic
This attorney is licensed in Georgia and 2 other states.
Posted 4 months ago.
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Technically, who you talk to is your own business if you do so outside of work.
The reality is this: yes, your manager could write you up for this action. And, your employer could terminate you for this action. The termination would probably not preclude you from getting unemployment compensation once terminated, but you could not sue your employer for wrongful termination. (Talking to an ex-employee about work-related issues might result in you losing unemployment compensation). Why? Because in Georgia, unless an employee has an employment contract or agreement, an employer can terminate any employee for any reason, no reason or even a bad reason so long as the termination does not violate a State or Federal statute. Terminating, firing, or writing you up for speaking with a former employee would not violate any State or Federal statute. |