Is Answering a Question Slander?

[themonalisa]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Georgia

Two officers showed up at our place of business stating that they were acting on a tip that the boyfriend (Mr. B) of one of our employees (Ms. G) was visiting the premises. The officers had a warrant for his arrest, but had apparently missed Mr. B. The officers wandered back to the administration building and asked one of the employees there (Ms. A) if she had seen the man in question. They then described him and stated that Mr. B's girlfriend had an unusual name and worked in the front office area of our two-building complex. There were only two people that could have fit the description, and one of those works at another site most of the time. Ms. A asked the officer if he meant Ms. G because she had seen the girlfriend with Mr. B when they were getting into Ms. G's pickup or giving each other a quick goodbye kiss in the parking lot. The officer answered affirmatively that Ms. G was the name he had been told.

Ms. G has since made an issue of Ms. A's statement, stating that she hasn't had a boyfriend for months and, therefore, Ms. A is guilty of slander. Because of a strict No Gossiping policy at our place of business, Ms. G insisted that Ms. A face disciplinary action, and so Ms. A has been suspended for two weeks without pay.

Is this a legal action by the company? Wouldn't Ms. A's statement be considered "assisting an officer in an investigation" rather than slander or gossip?

 

[divgradcurl]

Is this a legal action by the company? Wouldn't Ms. A's statement be considered "assisting an officer in an investigation" rather than slander or gossip?

No, this is a company deciding that what the person did was against company policy. Companies can set their own policies. Ms. A should have kept her mouth shut about the boss -- when you talk about the boss, you have to face the consequences if you get caught.

So, even though it is "assisting an investigation," since Ms. A was not "compelled" to make the statement, she violated the company policy, and is paying the price.

 

[themonalisa]

Ms. A did not say anything about the boss. Ms. G is a co-worker. The only policy that could even come close to covering the situation is the gossip policy, and I am wondering if trying to assist an officer of the law would truly be considered gossip. There was no malice intended, Ms. A was simply trying to help the officer find Mr. B (the man who has a warrant issued for his arrest).

The company is not taking legal action in any way other than suspending Ms. A for her one statement about the suspect's potential affiliation with Ms. G.

 

[JETX]

"Is this a legal action by the company?"
*** The only issue here is did she or did she not 'gossip' in violation of the company policy.
If the company felt that she did, then they have the right to take appropriate action.
And as much as I feel the company was in error in their action, that doesn't make it 'illegal'.

"Wouldn't Ms. A's statement be considered "assisting an officer in an investigation" rather than slander or gossip?"
*** Yes. But there is NO legal definition of 'gossip' and that is purely up to the determination of the employer. By the way, as long as the statement made was correct, then it is NOT slander.