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21 First Amend. L. Rev. 222 (2023)
Free Speech Rights in Private Employment? The First Amendment, the Present Patchwork, and a Balanced Improvement

handle is hein.journals/falr21 and id is 236 raw text is: FREE SPEECH RIGHTS IN PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT? THE FIRST AMENDMENT, THE PRESENT PATCHWORK, AND A BALANCED IMPROVEMENT Andrew Kragie* TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction........................................................................223 I. For Whatever Reason: The Vulnerability of At-Will Employment........................................................................223 II. The First Amendment for Private Employers, But Not Workers 228 A. Employers' Speech ...........................................................................229 B. Compelled Speech.............................................................................232 C. Freedom of Association ....................................................................233 III. Federal Statutes with Broad Coverage but Narrow Protections 235 A. National Labor Relations Act ..........................................................235 B. Whistleblowers and Anti-Retaliation Provisions...............................240 C. Civil Rights Laws.............................................................................240 IV. State Constitutions and Common Law: Dead Ends for Employees .........................................................................................243 V. The Present Patchwork of State Laws and a Balanced Model Statute ...............................................................................250 A. Current Extent.................................................................................250 B. History.............................................................................................251 C. Debating the Merits .........................................................................253 D. Principles.........................................................................................257 E. A Model Statute...............................................................................261 Conclusion..........................................................................263 J.D. Candidate, Class of 2024, University of North Carolina School of Law. I would like to thank UNC Law professors Jeffrey M. Hirsch, Mary-Rose Papandrea, and William P. Marshall for their early suggestions; my editors and fellow staff members on the First Amendment Law Review for their thoughtful improvements; my parents for their advice and encouragement; and my wife for her patience and unconditional support. This Note is dedicated to our first child with the hope that future generations will continue to cherish and protect our foundational freedoms.