Bemis Social Media Policy in Worker Handbook Lawful, NLRB Rules

An employer can restrict its workers’ social media use in order to protect its reputation, the National Labor Relations Board ruled in a case involving packaging manufacturer Bemis Company Inc.

The NLRB blessed Bemis’ employee handbook rule on social media, overturning an administrative law judge’s ruling that the directive violated federal labor law. The company’s policy fell into the category of rules that are presumptively lawful and don’t require justification by an employer, the board said in its Aug. 7 decision.

The Republican-controlled NLRB also upheld the ALJ’s ruling that Bemis committed a slew of unfair labor practices, most ...