Freedom of Speech and Employment

The book examines employment law implications for employees who exercise the right to freedom of speech, and argues for increased rights to free speech in this context. Most obviously employees need protection when speaking about immediate threats to health and safety or serious financial malpractice, but they also need protection when participating in debate on matters that are in the public interest. The book suggests that the rights of employees to participate in debate on matters of public interest are vital to a healthy democratic system. The book begins with a study of the philosophical basis for protecting the right to free speech and considers the extent to which that right should survive entry to the workplace. It establishes a principled basis upon which to determine the proper scope of the employee's right to free speech, taking into account the rights of both employers and employees. The impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the law under article 10 ECHR is assessed, together with the question of when the exercise of free speech by an employee breaches the contract of employment. The book contains a detailed treatment of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, the rules on unfair dismissal, and the special position of employees working in the civil service, local government, and the NHS. Throughout the discussion of these issues, an assessment is made of the extent to which the current law complies with the proposed model for protection of employee speech.