Can an employee use Twitter to criticize management without fear of being chastised by the company?  The National Labor Relations Board says yes, and it is planning to file a civil complaint against Thomson Reuters, which reprimanded one of its employees over a Twitter post, reports Steven Greenhouse at The New York Times.  

The NLRB maintains that a Thomson Reuters supervisor acted illegally when reprimanding a Tweeting reporter because workers have the right to engage in concerted activity to improve working conditions. 

The reporter, who also happens to lead the Newspaper Guild at Reuters, posted a Tweet that read, "One way to make this the best place to work is to deal honestly with Guild members." Later, she said, she received a call at home from her supervisor, who told her she wasn't allowed to say anything that could damage the company's reputation.

Thomson Reuters maintains that its social media policy resembles that of other companies, and it is straightforward.  A spokesperson said that the company does not even view the employee as having been disciplined in this situation.

The legal parameters surrounding employee use of social media remain hazy.  In February, the NLRB settled a case against an ambulance company in Connecticut, which it had accused of illegally terminating a worker who had criticized a manager on Facebook, Greenhouse reports. 

According to the board, workers are permitted to criticize their companies or supervisors when conversing with co-workers over social media.

For more:
- see Steven Greenhouse's article at the New York Times

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