Have you ever wanted to criticize your boss but fear it may cost you your job?
What happens if you “go over your bosses” head to his or her manager with your concerns?  Can you be disciplined?
According to two recently release court decisions, employees are entitled to criticize their managers without fear of immediate dismissal, as long as the form and content of this criticism does not go over board.
In this week’s workplace law section of the Metro News, I review the cases of a B.C supervisor and a production manager who leapfrogged their bosses to write angry letters to the superiors at the company.  In the case of the production manager, he penned an angry letter to the company’s shareholders, knowing that the company was about to commence a share offerring.
In both cases, the courts said that criticism of the boss may reasonably be justified and will not necessary amount to cause for dismissal.  However, the manner and tone in which they express this criticism must always remain professional.
Daniel A. Lublin is an employment lawyer with Whitten & Lublin LLP, which is a team of legal experts who provide practical advice and advocacy for workplace issues.  [email protected].