Boss talking about you after work hours.

[WorriedFiancee]

My fiancee and roommate both work for the same company. They were hired in as tow truck drivers, and that is there job. However in the same building they have a mechanic who drops grease on the floor, spills oil, and pretty much messes the place up. Every day the tow truck drivers are to take out the trash, sweep the floors, and scrub them to get the oil and grease up. When they mention that they did not make the mess, and they should have help cleaning it, there boss tells them to "stop being lazy" and "do what they are told". My fiancee's cousin lives across the street from his boss, and we were told that everyday they comment on "how those guys at the shop are so lazy" and how "employee X is a retard" and how "employee D needs to find a new job if he is going to act that lazy" and just talks horrible about them. Is there anything that is illegal about this? I live in Michigan. What are the laws about this?

 

[cbg]

No, there is nothing illegal about this. No law in any state prohibits the boss from considering them lazy if they do not clean up the mess, whether they think they ought to have to do it or not. Or even saying so out loud. It's his opinion; under the Constitution he is entitled to speak it.

 

[WorriedFiancee]

But they do clean up the mess without complaining, and he is saying this to other people who do not work for the company and have no business knowing anything about the company's employees. Isn't that considered slander?

 

[cbg]

No, it's not. It's his opinion.