All Politics May Be Local but What About Limits on Free Speech and Politics in the Workplace?
The workplace is ever-changing. Technology and media have opened seemingly endless portals of communication. The traditional workplace has also evolved with more employees working remotely during and beyond normal work hours. As a result, the lines between work and personal time are blurred. Likewise, the separation between work communications and personal expressions isn't always clear. We live in a time when political identity and expressions of beliefs are highly charged. This can be disruptive and divisive, especially in the workplace. Federal and state laws protect some employee speech, but not all. This leaves employers wondering what speech they can monitor and control. This session reviews the legal issues related to free speech and privacy and the limits of what employers can control.
James Reidy, Esq.
Attorney James P. (“Jim”) Reidy is a management-side labor and employment lawyer. He is a partner in the New England based law firm, Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green, PA, where he is the Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment group. His practice focuses on prevention, training and compliance but he also handles matters when claims arise.
He has more than 35 years of experience in the field and been a media resource on workplace law for media outlets including CNN, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Business Magazine, Bloomberg, NPR, The Associated Press, NPR Market Place, Buzz Feed, Law 360, Inc. Magazine, The HR Power Hour, HR Breakroom, SKI Magazine and HR Magazine as well as several local/regional publications.
In 2020 Jim was inducted as a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
Chambers USA and New England Super Lawyers have ranked Jim in the Top Tier of management-side employment lawyers for each year of the last 15 years. Best Lawyers USA named Jim the 2022 Lawyer of the Year for Labor and Employment Law (Manchester, NH) and the NH Business Review named him one of the top 200 most influential business leaders in New Hampshire.
Jim has been a presenter regularly at SHRM’s Legal and Legislative Conference in Washington, DC as well as SHRM’s annual conferences.