NLRB Takes Commonsense Approach On Work Rule Enforcement

In a recent decision, a majority of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overturned an administrative law judge's (ALJ) finding that an employer's confidentiality rule and media rule violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Applying the balancing test articulated in The Boeing Company, 365 NLRB No. 154 (2017), for the first time, the NLRB emphasized that a work rule is lawful if, when reasonably interpreted, it does not interfere with rights protected by the NLRA. The rule must be considered in the context of its everyday application. Moreover, even if the rule in question might interfere with NLRA rights, the NLRB must weigh the impact of the rule on NLRA rights against the employer's business justification for the rule. The rule is unlawful only if the adverse impact on NLRA rights outweighs the justification for the rule.