After being terminated does the employer have a legal right to disclose all information on your termination to customers?
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After being terminated does the employer have a legal right to disclose all information on your termination to customers?
I was terminated for allegedly under billing my account. I worked for my community association. After terminated they wrote a letter and explained to the entire community that this happened as well as the amount they want me to pay. This was delivered as a piece of paper in each US mailbox. Is this legal for them to do?
Asked on September 30, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
The first question: was there any agreement prohibiting the employer from doing this? i.e. anything in an employment, non-disclosure, severance, etc. agreement preventing this disclosure? If there was, that agreement may be enforced as per its terms and the employer may be sued for damages if they violated it.
However, in the absence of an agreement to the contrary, there is no law preventing the employer from disclosing the circumstances of your termination. Where they could get in trouble is if they have defamed you, which means made untrue statements of fact about you which harm your reputation. If all the facts are true, it is not defamation; and opinions are not defamation; but untrue facts may be defamatory, and if you think that is what has happened, you should speak with a personal injury attorney.
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