Employee Communications: District of Columbia

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Authors: Stuart R. Buttrick and Tareen Zafrullah, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Summary

• Employers of at-will employees must not give the impression that the employment relationship is anything other than terminable at will. See Communicating Employer Expectations and Work Rules; Employment at Will.
• District of Columbia law recognizes claims for defamation. See Communicating Employer Expectations and Work Rules; Defamation and References.
• District of Columbia law requires all employers to post numerous employment posters. See Communications in Postings Required by District of Columbia Law.
• Employers are limited in their use of restrictive covenants. See Communicating Sensitive Information.
• All employers must keep personnel information confidential. See Communicating Sensitive Information.
• Employees' oral and wire communications are protected in the District of Columbia. See Privacy of Employee Communications.
• Using mobile telephones or electronic devices is prohibited while driving in the District of Columbia. See Restricting Employee Communications.
• All employers are prohibited from requiring employees to have English-Only policies. See Restricting Employee Communications.
• Employers must comply with the District of Columbia Wage Transparency Act. See Restricting Employee Communications.