Can Your Boss Fire You for a Political Post? | Know This

You post a political opinion on Facebook. Your boss sees it the next morning. Can you actually be fired for it? A lot of people assume the First Amendment protects anything they say online, but that is not how it works. The First Amendment generally protects you from government restrictions on speech. If you work for a private employer, the rules can be very different. In this episode of Know This, Chris breaks down: • Why the First Amendment usually does not protect private-sector employees from employer discipline • How state laws can provide additional protections for political activity • When discussions about pay, benefits, or working conditions may be protected under federal labor law • Why public employees can have different First Amendment protections • Why who you work for, where you work, and what you actually post all matter The NLRB confirms that certain social-media discussions involving employees acting together over pay and working conditions can qualify as protected concerted activity. Public employees can also have First Amendment protections in certain circumstances when speaking as private citizens on matters of public concern. Freedom of speech does not automatically mean freedom from workplace consequences. Know this before you hit post.