Q. A former employee has posted a negative review about our company on a social media website. Is there anything we can do about it?
A. While social media is a powerful tool for promoting your company’s brand, negative reviews can be equally powerful in affecting the company’s reputation. When the negative review is by an employee or former employee, the review is particularly galling.
Unfortunately, employers have little recourse. While many employees have social media policies prohibiting employees from commenting about the company, the NLRB does not allow such policies to chill an employee’s ability to complain about the terms and conditions of employment on social media. Moreover, the company’s ability to control social media activity ceases once the employee leaves the company or is terminated.
But there are a few things you can do. First, be sure to set an alert so that you are aware of all comments made about the company online.
If the post is made by a current employee, use this as a red flag that something may be amiss about the employment relationship. Meet with the employee and give him or her a chance to air his or her concerns. Then ask the employee if he or she would be willing to take down the post and address the issue internally instead.
If you are offering a severance package to a departing employee, consider adding a nondisparagement clause to any separation agreement that would prohibit the former employee from making negative comments or otherwise denigrating the company’s reputation. Consider paying the severance over time, rather than in a lump sum, to create a disincentive for the former employee to violate the nondisparagement clause.
Assuming there was no written agreement and it is a former employee who is doing the negative posting, you will have to consider whether it makes more sense to ignore the post or respond to it. If you do choose to respond, be careful not to personally attack the individual, but instead focus on the comment and set the record straight. While it is not a battle easily won, depending on how damaging the post is, you may also consider speaking with legal counsel about the possibility of an action for defamation. Moreover, if the negative comment also reveals company trade secrets, you will need to analyze the situation with your counsel and consider sending a cease and desist letter and filing suit.
Finally, it is always best to take a proactive approach. Remind employees of the powerful impact social media can have on your business. Encourage your employees to become a “brand ambassador” and “like” the company on social media and share company achievements. After all, a negative comment will have much less of an impact if it is surrounded by lots of positive, reputation-enhancing messages in cyberspace.