The policy prohibiting Chipotle employees from making disparaging comments against the company publicly online has been ruled illegal.
Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that the social media policy that Chipotle had in place is in violation of federal law.
According to a recent report from Business Insider, Chipotle is no longer permitted to punish employees for their social media activity. Prior to the ruling, Chipotle’s social media policy stated that employees are prohibited from making negative comments about the company publicly online. The NLRB has ruled that Chipotle must remove this policy, along with the policy that prohibits employees from circulating petitions for better working conditions and one that restricts employees from discussing politics and religion at work.
In addition to removing the policy, Business Insider reported that Chipotle must also post signs in its restaurants acknowledging the illegality of these policies.
The NLRB’s ruling came in response to the firing of James Kennedy in 2015 after he circulated a petition claiming that workers weren’t able to take breaks. Kennedy was also reprimanded by Chipotle management for a Tweet in which he complained about crew wages, which he later removed.
Business Insider reported that, in March, Chipotle was ordered by an administrative judge to offer Kennedy his job back and to pay him for his lost wages.