Summarize the following:
Many states have laws protecting workers who discuss politics or other topics outside of work. You should research your state's laws to find out what is protected and what isn't. Look online or contact a lawyer to discuss your state's laws. Some state laws are very expansive. For example, California law protects employees from demotion or termination for their legal off-duty activities. You can find a lawyer by visiting your local or state bar association. If you are low income, you can find nearby legal aid at the www.lsc.gov website. Many states afford strong protections to people who write about union drives in their workplaces. Accordingly, this is usually a safe topic to discuss on the website. However, you should still be careful not to blog about unionizing during your work hours. Instead, keep the activity for after hours. Some state labor laws will also protect any speech about the conditions of the workplace if more than one person is discussing this issue. Some states, such as California, have laws protecting employees from retaliation based on their political speech. In these states, you can sue if a boss fires you for blogging about politics. Nevertheless, you should think carefully before you do. It is fairly easy for a boss to find a pre-text for firing you. For example, they could claim your work is substandard. Can you really prove otherwise? You also could alienate people at work based on your political beliefs. As a result, your work performance might suffer and you'll feel less job satisfaction. Many laws protect employees who "blow the whistle" on their employer's illegal conduct. However, these laws protect you when you report the violation to an appropriate government authoritynot when you post on your blog. Make sure to report violations before blogging about them. Contact an attorney if you don't know who to report violations to. You can find a lawyer by contacting your local or state bar association. Ask for a referral. At the consultation, you can discuss the violation and what your next steps should be. Your company's confidential information has a lot of value. Accordingly, you should never discuss this information on the blog, even when masking your identity. Confidential government information is also legally protected from disclosure. Depending on your job, you may violate your ethical obligations by discussing client confidences. For example, a lawyer should never discuss details about a client's case in a blog. If the case became public (e.g., by going to trial), then a lawyer can talk about the public information. Otherwise, tread very carefully.
Research your state laws. Talk about unionizing in your blog. Think twice before discussing politics. Notify authorities before blowing the whistle. Avoid discussing confidential information.