[djc74]

Can a company send out this type of info??

I want to give everyone an update on Dan. Our family offered him help yesterday. He refused to seek help. We officially terminated him from xxxxxxxxx Supply. Please inform the employees. Everyone is open to visit with Dan socially, but do not share xxxxxxxx Supply business with him.

[AK lawyer]

Well, it doesn't indicate what Dan needs help for, but it seems to suggest that he has some sort of a mental or drug problem. To that extent, Dan might possibly argue that it is libelous. But other than that, it's probably OK.

[smoothy]

They did this so he doesn't continue to come in and take advantage of things by people that may not know he is no longer working there.

I've seen similar things happen at a number of employers, namely because if someone is fired, they wild be upset, if they are upset they are likely to try something, anything to retaliate... or incur a major expense to the business... assuming they don't go off the reservation and become another one of the disgruntled employees you see on the news from time to time.

They also know he's likely to make statements to other people that they refused to help him (for whatever the issue was).. and they wanted to be pro-active in stating help was offered and refused. As long as it was factual... good luck in anyone prevailing in any action. Most places make no secret of why someone was terminated. They were actually being nice to him by not saying more.

[Fr_Chuck]

They perhaps should have not put the part about help in there, but basically it does not say anything, that I see is illegal

[smoothy]

Actually, I don't believe they are under any legal restriction preventing them from telling anyone WHY they were fired if they so wish to tell anyone. And its NEVER any great secret within the company.

I've been working since College. So that's 35 years now. Every employer I've ever been at everyone knew why someone got fired.

I know exactly why the guy whose job I got after he was fired... was terminated over... all the details.

[joypulv]

Gosh, I suppose the part in bold is a tiny bit libelous. But they sound like a company who cares about employees, and I think that they have a right to let customers know that they are not cruel and heartless. Is this not true? Is it too late to get some help, if that indeed is the situation? Jobs are still not so easy to get and hold onto.

[AK lawyer]

Gosh, I suppose the part in bold is a tiny bit libelous. ...

Would that be something like a tiny bit pregnant?

No. It's not at all defamatory (assuming it's true).

[ScottGem]

Yes a company can send out that type of info. The question is whether they can be held civilly responsible for doing so. I don't see anything in that communication, assuming they are all provable fact that would get them in legal trouble.

[joypulv]

A tiny bit libelous = no lawyer will take it without a retainer and a warning that you probably won't win, so you go to the Dept of Labor for the cost of paper and stamps and phone calls.
A tiny bit pregnant = you can take a 72 hour pill instead of having a surgical abortion.

Somewhat similar, in time and money anyway.

[Alty]

I don't see anything libelous here. They don't say what Dan needed help with, they didn't disclose anything personal. They simply said they offered help, he refused, and because of that he's no longer an employee.

Sounds like a family company. Likely not that many employees. So letting the other employees know that Dan has been let go, is proactive, just in case Dan decides to cause trouble.

My last boss was fired. She told everyone that she quit, and on her last day she took all the employee files, shredded very important documents, and then disappeared.

You never know what a disgruntled employee will do once they're let go. Letting other employees know that this person no longer works for the company, and to be careful about information being disclosed about the company to that former employee, to me seems like a smart move.