Can an employer prohibit employees from associating with ex-employees if they were not friends before working at the company?

Ann Kiernan replies:

No! Employers do not get to monitor workers’ friendships. However, an employer can certainly insist that current employees not share confidential, proprietary, or non-public information with anyone outside the company.

Posted 06-23-2020

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.