Private Employer Firing for Political Activity Cases Are Rare, but Court Gives Plaintiff in Snyder v. Alight Solutions, LLC a Shot at Trial

A recent case, Snyder v. Alight Solutions, LLC, was granted a chance to proceed to trial under California statutes that protect private employees' political activity. The plaintiff, Snyder, alleges that she was fired for posting photos of herself at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and commenting positively on the events of that day. The defendant argued that Snyder was lawfully terminated due to violations of laws prohibiting demonstrations on Capitol grounds. The court allowed the case to proceed to trial under California's statutes that protect private employees' political activity, as it is presumed that an employer cannot fire an employee for an unlawful reason or a purpose that contravenes fundamental public policy.

The case is now settled, but it raised interesting questions about the protection of private employees' political activity and the limits of employer control over employee political activity. While it is still unclear how the case would have turned out had it proceeded to trial, it is a reminder to employers to be cautious when enforcing policies that could be perceived as restricting employee political activity.