What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?ny
What is the name of your state?ny
I am a manager in a CPA firm. About 8 weeks ago, one of our fellow managers resigned from our firm and acquired a job at a new firm. About two weeks after that, her friend, a staff level accountant in my firm, also resigned. At the time of her resignation, she indicated that she did not have another job lined up.
Two days ago, one of the Partners in my firm informed me that the staff accountant who left our firm had joined the new firm that her friend (the manager who resigned) was employed by. We were not surprised, and it became the office gossip of the day.
Today I received an email before I left my office from the former staff accountant. The email had a MS Word document attached to it. The letter informed me that she was told by "various identifiable sources" that I was discussing her current employment status, that she and I had no current relationship in any shape or form, and that if anything I assert or declare impairs her professional ethics or reputation that she would seek legal action against me. The final sentence of the letter said something like "This letter serves as notice under the laws of New York State."
Needless to say this staff accountant is on her second career, and her first was (and perhaps still is) as an attorney.
I was extremely distressed upon seeing this. I saw the letter as a threat. I responded with an email stating that I did not know what she was talking about, I had not made any assertions or declarations, positive or negative, about her, and that I do not want her emailing me at the office, since my company might disdain continued use of our company email with prior employees especially if those employees left on bad terms.
Unlike this woman, I am no attorney. My basic belief is that my First Amendment rights allow me to speak my opinion to anyone. However I had heard that if someone called me for an employment-related reference for any former employee that I should never say anything negative, otherwise I could be sued.
My basic question is first off - did I do anything wrong? Could I be liable for any sort of damages for this type of office gossip? I never spoke to her new employer, and never was even asked for a job reference for her by anyone at any time. Even the gossip was not slanderous in nature but merely spreading the word of where this former employee wound up, which I imagine is typical in an office environment.
My next question would be, since her letter was plainly threatening litigation, would that in itself be a form of harassment? Usually I am pretty thick-skinned but reading this letter got to me. I broke into a cold sweat when reading it and I was as nervous as I was angry. After all this person knows the ins-and-outs of the law and who knows what she is capable of? She did have a reputation for being vindictive when working for my firm.
Finally, I am hopeful that I never hear from her again, but knowing the type of person she is I fully expect more threatening letters. In the unfortunate event that she continues to send these types of letters to me, especially at my work place, is there any remedy that I can seek like some sort of restraining order?
Sorry for the long winded message and I know this sounds like a petty complaint, but the threat of being sued very much unnerved me.
What is the name of your state?ny
I am a manager in a CPA firm. About 8 weeks ago, one of our fellow managers resigned from our firm and acquired a job at a new firm. About two weeks after that, her friend, a staff level accountant in my firm, also resigned. At the time of her resignation, she indicated that she did not have another job lined up.
Two days ago, one of the Partners in my firm informed me that the staff accountant who left our firm had joined the new firm that her friend (the manager who resigned) was employed by. We were not surprised, and it became the office gossip of the day.
Today I received an email before I left my office from the former staff accountant. The email had a MS Word document attached to it. The letter informed me that she was told by "various identifiable sources" that I was discussing her current employment status, that she and I had no current relationship in any shape or form, and that if anything I assert or declare impairs her professional ethics or reputation that she would seek legal action against me. The final sentence of the letter said something like "This letter serves as notice under the laws of New York State."
Needless to say this staff accountant is on her second career, and her first was (and perhaps still is) as an attorney.
I was extremely distressed upon seeing this. I saw the letter as a threat. I responded with an email stating that I did not know what she was talking about, I had not made any assertions or declarations, positive or negative, about her, and that I do not want her emailing me at the office, since my company might disdain continued use of our company email with prior employees especially if those employees left on bad terms.
Unlike this woman, I am no attorney. My basic belief is that my First Amendment rights allow me to speak my opinion to anyone. However I had heard that if someone called me for an employment-related reference for any former employee that I should never say anything negative, otherwise I could be sued.
My basic question is first off - did I do anything wrong? Could I be liable for any sort of damages for this type of office gossip? I never spoke to her new employer, and never was even asked for a job reference for her by anyone at any time. Even the gossip was not slanderous in nature but merely spreading the word of where this former employee wound up, which I imagine is typical in an office environment.
My next question would be, since her letter was plainly threatening litigation, would that in itself be a form of harassment? Usually I am pretty thick-skinned but reading this letter got to me. I broke into a cold sweat when reading it and I was as nervous as I was angry. After all this person knows the ins-and-outs of the law and who knows what she is capable of? She did have a reputation for being vindictive when working for my firm.
Finally, I am hopeful that I never hear from her again, but knowing the type of person she is I fully expect more threatening letters. In the unfortunate event that she continues to send these types of letters to me, especially at my work place, is there any remedy that I can seek like some sort of restraining order?
Sorry for the long winded message and I know this sounds like a petty complaint, but the threat of being sued very much unnerved me.