The Settler

Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Amber Bond Dr. Bruce Barry spoke about his book "Speechless: The Erosion of Free Expression in the Workplace," on Wednesday in honor of Communication Week.

On Wednesday, April 8, Dr. Bruce Barry spoke to Volunteer State Community College about freedom of speech in the workplace. Barry was on campus to promote communication week and its theme of free speech.

Barry is a professor of management and sociology at the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He has co-written several books used widely in colleges all over the United States, and wrote his own book called "Speechless: The Erosion of Free Expression in the Workplace."

In "Speechless," Barry explores freedom of speech for employees on and off the job, and gives several examples of workers being fired for various reasons of expression.

Barry's presentation to Vol State dealt with these examples and he spoke about what American citizens can and can't do about freedom of speech in the workplace.

Barry started the speech with a few stories related to the topic, including a woman being fired from her job in Alabama in 2004 for having a John Kerry bumper sticker on her car.

"Is this legal? Is this ethical?" asked Barry to the audience.

He continued with a few more stories and moved on to say, "Yes, this is legal."

Barry then educated the audience about private and public sector employers. If someone works for a public sector employer, like the government, then all Constitutional rights apply, including freedom of speech. But if someone works for a private, non-government owned employer, then the rules don't apply.

"Rights like freedom of speech only apply when the state is acting to enforce those rights," he said. "Constitutional rights only apply to state employed jobs."

Barry went on to explain employment-at-will in the private workplace.

"It's the basic idea that we have our jobs at-will, we can leave at-will, and we can also be fired at-will. Essentially, our private sector employers can fire us for no reason at all, though generally that doesn't happen," he said with a laugh.

"I didn't know that I could be fired for no reason," said student Kysa Myers, 19. "The seminar has been very educational. I learned a lot that I didn't know already about working in America."

Barry concluded by asking the question, is there really free speech in the U.S. workplace?

"It all depends on whether you work for a private or public sector," he said. "What kind of speech is it, whether it be religious or political, in what state do you work, and for whom do you work?" These questions are discussed in length in Barry's book.

"His book can be purchased in our own Vol State bookstore at a special price," said Len Assante, associate professor of communication. "Or, it can be purchased online at amazon.com."

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