Is it legal for my manager of my department to force employees not to communicate to each other even if it’s work related.
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Is it legal for my manager of my department to force employees not to communicate to each other even if it’s work related.
I work I. The detail shop of an auto auction.
Lots of noise, moving vehicles and foot traffic.
Our immediate supervisor called a meeting
after work and enacted a new rule that the
employees are no longer allowed to
communicate with each other at all even if it’s
work related.
This sounds like a safety violation to me cause
someone could get hurt if someone failed to
say something that they saw about to happen
in fear of disciplinary action
Asked on August 17, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Colorado
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Yes, it is legal. It may be stupid, it may be unwise, but it falls within the employer's authority to set rules and conditions for employement, and those rules and conditions can include telling employees to not communicate with each other. If an injury occurs and this policy contributes to it, the employer could be sued; if there was a workplace safety violation, it may be reported to OHSA (employers may NOT legally prevent employees from bringing legal or rules violations to the government); if there is a labor or wage law violation, it can be brought to the department of labor, or a discrimination complaint to the EEOC. But otherwise, yes--the employer may ban communication.
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