Kerala High Court upholds employee’s right to raise safety concerns on private WhatsApp group

The Kerala High Court upheld an employee's right to share safety concerns via private WhatsApp messages in the workplace. \r

In the case of Sujith T V v Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd, Justice Satish Ninan ruled that disciplining the technician solely for expressing safety concerns infringed upon his freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. The Court set aside one of two disciplinary charges against the petitioner related to sharing safety-related messages within a private WhatsApp group of company technicians. \r

While the Court declined to interfere with the warning issued for unauthorized entry into a restricted area, it stressed that any disciplinary action should follow a formal inquiry, noting the importance of upholding employees' rights in such matters.