Featured on Employment Law This Week – An Illinois appellate court weighs in on social media and solicitation. The case involved a defendant who sent LinkedIn connection requests to three former coworkers, even though he had signed a non-solicit agreement. In considering whether social media activity violates non-solicitation agreements, other courts have drawn a distinction between passive social media activity and more active, direct activity. Though these requests were made directly to the former coworkers, the court in this case ruled that the content constituted passive activity because the defendant did not discuss his new job in any way, nor
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LinkedIn “Connection” Request Did Not Violate Non-Solicit
In this age of social media, a frequently asked question is whether social media activity can violate a non-compete or non-solicit. Although the case law is evolving, courts which have addressed the issue have focused on the content of the communication, rather than the medium used to convey it. In so doing, they have distinguished between mere passive social media activity (e.g., posting an update about a new job) as opposed to more targeted, active actions (e.g., not merely posting about a new job, but also actively recruiting former co-workers or clients).
A “LinkedIn” case recently decided
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Trade Secret, Proprietary Information, & Regulatory Requirements Concerns Contribute To Veto of New Jersey Social Media Bill
The New Jersey Legislature was overwhelmingly in favor of a measure that would have barred employers from obtaining social media IDs and other social media related information from employees and applicants. But Governor Chris Christie vetoed A-2878 because it would frustrate a business’s ability “to safeguard its business assets and proprietary information” and potentially conflict with regulatory requirements on businesses in regulated industries such as finance and healthcare. Accommodating these competing interests is not only a legislative challenge, but is one faced by employers and businesses every day.
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Employer Illegally Seized Former Employee’s LinkedIn Account, But Employee Suffered No Provable Damages
Social media has changed the way that companies and employees connect to clients and customers. As new uses for social networking emerge, legal issues in this area are arising.
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Peter Steinmeyer Quoted in Article, “5 Tips for Drafting Employment Pacts in the Social Media Era”
Peter Steinmeyer, a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment practice and Managing Shareholder of the Chicago office, was quoted in an article in Law360.com titled “5 Tips for Drafting Employment Pacts in the Social Media Era.”
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Are Employer Social Networking Accounts Protectable Trade Secrets?
Social media has become an increasingly important tool for businesses to market their products and services. As the use of social media in business continues to grow, companies will face new challenges with respect to the protection of their confidential information and business goodwill, as several recent federal district court decisions demonstrate.
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