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On December 11, 2024 (Cass. soc., Dec. 11, 2024, No. 23-20.716), the French Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of an employee who had sent insulting messages about the company and its executives via a company-provided cell phone. This decision appears to contrast with a previous ruling from March 6, 2024 (Cass. soc., Mar. 6, 2024, No. 22-11.016), in which the dismissal of an employee who sent racist messages via the company’s email system was deemed unfair due to the private nature of the exchanges.

In this new case, the employee had used a company-provided cell phone to send text messages to current and former employees who were engaged in litigation with the company. These messages contained homophobic insults directed at company executives. The employee was dismissed for misconduct, a decision that he challenged by arguing that his messages were private and thus could not justify disciplinary action.Continue Reading Disciplinary dismissal for sending insulting messages via a company-provided cell phone: a shift in case law?

The French Supreme Court ruled on March 6, 2024 (n°22-11.016), that an employer cannot terminate an employee who has sent racist and xenophobic messages to a colleague via the professional email system,  if the messages were private.

Facts:

Due to an error made by one of the recipients of the emails, the employer became aware of the emails sent by the employee to his colleagues. The employee was dismissed for gross misconduct and challenged his dismissal by claiming that the employer has violated his private life as the emails were titled “personal and confidential”.

In return, the employer argued that, in accordance with the French Supreme Court’s rulings, a reason relating to an employee’s personal life can justify disciplinary dismissal if it constitutes a breach of an obligation arising from the employee’s employment contract.

Therefore, the employer claimed that the employee breached his employment contract’s obligations by sending racist and xenophobic emails via the professional email system.

The employer also argued that the employee abused the professional email system for personal purposes.Continue Reading No disciplinary action for sending private racist messages via the professional email system

Updated on April 8, 2020

Since the effective date of this law, the New Jersey Department of Labor has issued regulations related to same.  The regulations make clear that even if an employee is on leave for a protected reason, the employee is not entitled to reinstatement if the employee’s position is eliminated during a…