Politics-based social media posts can bring controversy, but can they be grounds for dismissal?
By Ronald S. Minken and Tanya (Tejpreet) Sambi
Mar 31, 2025
Social media has become a primary platform for political expression, allowing individuals to share their views on policies, elections, and social movements. However, many employees and organizations’ board of directors mistakenly believe their right to free speech protects them from workplace consequences.
The legal reality is that employees and directors can be disciplined, terminated, or removed for making political posts -especially when those posts cause reputational harm to their employer or organization, violate workplace policies, or create a conflict with an employer’s values.
When can employees and directors face termination or removal for their political social media activity? What are the unique risks across different employment sectors? What are the key legal precedents in Canada?
While Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of expression, it only applies to government actions, not private employment relationships. This means that while employees and directors are free to express political opinions, private employers are equally free to discipline or terminate employees and discipline or remove directors if their posts harm the organization or violate workplace policies.
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