Politics and the Workplace: Disciplining Employees in the Age of Free Speech
The workplace has evolved from a place with rigid codes of conduct and button-down policies to what sometimes seems like a boxing ring free-for-all. And disciplining employees who then claim protected political speech can quickly get ugly. Learn which states have laws that protect political affiliation and other categories that may clash with an employer's workplace respectfulness policies and expected conduct, and what an employer can do regarding disciplinary action.
Learning Objectives:
- Gain an understanding of which states protect political affiliation or certain categories of speech.
- Understand when discipline is appropriate and the right of an employer to maintain a respectful workplace.
- Get practical tips on how to enforce codes of conduct or handbook policies regarding disruption of the workplace.
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Kelly Dobbs Bunting
Kelly Bunting, Co-Chair of the Greenberg Traurig, LLP's Labor & Employment Practice's Workplace Compliance & Counseling Group, and member of its Artificial Intelligence Law Group, has considerable experience defending class and collective wage and hour litigation and misclassification claims, having defended employers in Title III ADA access litigation and litigation alleging race, sex, pregnancy, age, disability discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She is deeply experienced in virtually all aspects of employment litigation, including wage and hour, labor, Title VII, harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, non-competition and non-solicitation, trade secrets, SOX and Dodd Frank whistleblower claims, CEPA, ADEA, FMLA, NJLAD, and failure to accommodate issues. She has identified and managed employment issues in M&A deals and appeared before the EEOC, NLRB, and DOL in many states, as well as state agencies in DE, NY, NJ and PA. Kelly has represented many clients in mediation and settlement negotiations, and created HR and compliance training modules. She is regularly sought after as a workforce trainer for issues related to harassment and discrimination, FCPA compliance, good management techniques, and union awareness.
Kelly focuses much of her practice on international L&E issues, including employment/secondment contracts, data privacy, and global anti-corruption compliance. She advises clients on national and international handbook policies, procedures, and strategic HR issues, and provides day-to-day counsel in hiring, employee relations, employee discipline, and termination. She also conducts and advises on internal investigations.