Can a former employer call your current employer and bad-mouth you?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can a former employer call your current employer and bad-mouth you?
My ex-employer, who terminated me on the 27th, called my new employer on the 29th and got me terminated. I see this as harassment since I was no longer my former employers concern. Do I have any rights?
Asked on December 10, 2010 under Employment Labor Law, Connecticut
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
It depends. You say the former employer "bad mouthed" you. If what the former employer said was false--i.e. the former employer made untrue factual assertions about you, to another person, which damaged your reputation and caused that person (your new employer) to not want to do business with you--then you may have a claim for defamation against the former employer. However, if he or she either stated opinions, not facts, or else made true factual statements, you would not have a cause of action. If the former employer committed defamation, you may also have a claim for tortious interference with a business relationship, if the former employer intended to get you fired. However, generally, if what the former employer said was simply an opinion or was true, you probably do not have a claim--it's very rare that it's possible to sue someone for telling the truth or stating an opinion.
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.