If a previous employer badmouths you to a prospective employer, is that slander?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If a previous employer badmouths you to a prospective employer, is that slander?
I recently got fired from a job. The next job I applied at called my previous employer and they told them I was accident prone and blamed me for an accident I was not involved in. This resulted in me not able to get a new job. Isn’t this illegal or considered slander?
Asked on January 15, 2013 under Personal Injury, Washington
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
If your previous employer made statements that were not true and prevented you from gaining employment elsewhere, then this could be defamation (also known as slander) and interference with employment contract. Most employers will not make these types of comments in an effort to avoid a defamation suit. If you do want to pursue a defamation suit, you should arrange for a consultation with an employment law attorney.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.