Even though the company’s handbook did not explicitly prohibit employees from discussing their wages or other terms and conditions of employment, the National Labor Relations Board was correct in concluding that the handbook’s confidentiality language created an “unqualified prohibition” of the release of “any information” concerning its employees, which could be reasonably construed by its workers to restrict discussions about wages and other terms and conditions of employment, the D.C. Circuit affirms. The handbook’s discipline section had warned employees that they may be sanctioned for violating a confidence or releasing confidential information without authorization. Cintas Corp. v. NLRB.
Handbook Policy on Confidentiality Ruled Unlawful
Even though the company’s handbook did not explicitly prohibit employees from discussing their wages or other terms and conditions of employment, the National Labor Relations Board was correct in concluding that the handbook’s confidentiality language created an “unqualified prohibition” of the release of “any information” concerning its employees, which could be reasonably construed by its workers to restrict discussions about wages and other terms and conditions of employment, the D.C. Circuit affirms. The handbook’s discipline section had warned employees that they may be sanctioned for violating a confidence or releasing confidential information without authorization. Cintas Corp. v. NLRB.
