Can I be sued for putting on facebook "I've been laid off"

Just out of interest as an employer is saying they're going to take legal action after someone i know has put "i've been laid off" on their facebook page, causing some customers (also friends of the employee) to phone the place of work to ask if it's being sold or shutting down.

Can they be liable for anything?

 

If it's true, then no. Depends also if "I've been sacked" is more accurate.

 

You can't restrict a persons freedom of speech like that. And his case is FULL of holes. He could just state it was a quote from a friend or a TV program.

 

no she had a "lay off" letter. specifically stating she's been laid off.

 

pffft

let them take legal action they wont get anywhere.

if your telling the truth what they gunna do. "we are laying u off but you cant say anything to anyone" lol.

they cant do anything if you say they are the worlds worst company on facebook and no one should ever buy from them ever.

 

Sue them for the emotional stress caused by the threat

 

it's proving there was a threat as it was made private, only witness was her sister who would be bias and so dismissed.

 

How do you mean private? Like word of mouth private? An email? Text message?

 

Verbal

 

Well, there's nothing they can do, I'm pretty sure you have to go through the process of solicitors and other legal things to sue someone. Don't think you can just say "We're suing you because you've been laid off, and said about it on FB".

 

No, it would never stand up in court, unless there was something in her original contract about it.

 

could the said business also be fined for contempt of court, i.e time wasting? if it even makes it that far.

 

Sue for what, exactly? Libel and slander require the comments to be untrue.

 

The only situation I can envisage someone being sued would be if you signed a confidentiality contract upon leaving the company saying that you couldn't make public certain things. I can't imagine that it would ever hold up in court that you had to pretend you were still working for a company when in fact you weren't.

TLDR; its ********.

 

Ask for the removal request in writing.

 

Then post it on here/Facebook.

This could be really funny...

 

What do you mean?

 

"Oh, hello, Mr Company Blokey. You know that Facebook business, with you asking me to stop telling people you'd laid me off? Yes, I'd like that in writing, if you don't mind."

 

Word.

Word again.

I haven't worked for a real, contractual employer yet, but from threads on bit-tech the impression I've gained is that they're all total douchebags - would that be unfair?

 

It is possible for a company to make someone redundant and for the company to ask for - or even demand - confidentiality as part of the process. I've been at a company who had a confidentiality clause, for staff who both were and were not involved in the redundancy process.

However, I believe unless you signed a contract explicitly stating you agree to it, that you're not in breach of contract, and thus there's nothing for them to sue over. So, if your contract of employment states that you agree to confidentiality clauses in the case of involuntary redundancy .... mostly that just means you're up for gross misconduct, which is being given the sack.

Given there's redundancy in the hanging anyway, I'm not sure that's much of a disincentive...