Quicken Loans Denies Rules Book Violated Free-Speech Rights

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Mortgage giant Quicken Loans says its book of employee rules didn't violate its workers' free-speech rights because it was irrelevant to daily operations and was largely ignored by staffers.

Attorney Russell Linden told the administrative law judge hearing a case this week against Detroit-based Quicken brought by the National Labor Relations Board that the handbook known as the Big Book was "an afterthought at best after it was distributed."

The board alleges that Quicken's employee handbook, known as the Big Book, bars employees from discussing issues such as salaries and benefits, discussions that are protected under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, guaranteeing the right to unionize, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.

The judge could take up to several weeks to issue a decision.

The NLRB compliant says Quicken overly restricted employees' free speech and should rewrite its rules for workers and educate employees about their rights.

Quicken says it told employees Friday the handbook was rescinded. Quicken earlier denied that its work rules were overly restrictive.

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