BlogLine

NLRB Reverses Obama-Era Ruling And Finds That Employers Can Prohibit Use of Company Email for Union Activities

1/2/20

By: Brad Adler

On December 17, 2019, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in Caesars Entertainment that employees have no right under the National Labor Relations Act to use an employer’s email system for union activities, including organizing. This decision reverses a controversial and unprecedented ruling by the NLRB in 2014 (Purple Communications)  that essentially found that employers could not prohibit employees from using the employer’s email system for union activities.
While the scope of any ban on using email for non-work purposes will vary based on the facts of each case, the good news is that the NLRB, as currently constituted, has recognized that an employer fundamentally is in charge of how its equipment, including email system, can be used by employees.  In light of this ruling, we suggest that employers work with their labor and employment counsel to ensure that the language of any current work rules clearly sets out the respective company’s expectations on how work equipment, including email, should be used by employees.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Brad Adler at badler@fmglaw.com.