Do i have the right to tell my new employer what happen to me at my last job

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Do i have the right to tell my new employer what happen to me at my last job

I was bullied at work and went off on disability. I am now doing a gradual return to work with my same employer but at a new location. I want to let my new boss know what happened to me so they can understand my condition. My HR department says I cant tell them anything because it is against the law.

Asked on April 26, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Alaska

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 7 years ago | Contributor

If you signed any confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement (or some other agreement, like a settlement, containing such terms), then if you do tell, you will be in violation and could be sued. If you didn't sign such an agreement, and there also was no court order (e.g. if there had been some litigation pertaining to the matter), then you can tell: when there is no court order and no agreement, a person can tell what happened to them. That said, it would be *extremely* unwise to tell your new boss--
1) If you say anything that is any way exaggerated or not 100% provably true, you may commit defamation and could be sued;
2) Speaking not just as a lawyer but as a former executive married to an HR director, an employee who will tell negative things abouta  former employer cannot be trusted--they will reveal confidences from or bad mouth their current employer, too. Even if you would not in fact do that, you will create an impression that you would and will damage yourself at your current job.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption