If you are holding a public event, you should expect your employees to remain polite and represent the company well. This is a reasonable expectation of an employer.
But when the Fire Department of New York held a promotion ceremony and NY Attorney General Letitia James spoke, many firefighters booed and started chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump” in regard to James’s recent prosecution of former President Donald Trump, which many saw as a political attack.
Now, the FDNY is trying to identify the firefighters who interrupted James’s speech, and Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is leading the search.
The fire department sent a memo to the firefighters which said, in part, “When you’re not on duty, feel however you want about politicians. Vote. Protest. That’s your right. But don’t do it on the job’s time, on other members’ time, or on their families’ time. Do it on your own time.”
The FDNY Union stands behind the firefighters, but the department is unhappy with the behavior.
Is this protected speech, or can an employer punish employees for behaving rudely during a company presentation?
To keep reading, click here: The FDNY and Elon Musk Really Need to Recognize Free Speech