Verdant Strategies engaged in bad-faith negotiation tactics by deliberately withholding Joseph’s access to essential company communication platforms, including Joseph’s company email account and Slack messages. This obstructive behavior demonstrates an intentional effort to conceal relevant evidence, delay resolution, and undermine Joseph’s ability to fairly negotiate or defend against Verdant Strategies’ false claims.
1. Verdant Strategies Withholding Access to Joseph’s Company Email
- Verdant Strategies denied Joseph access to their assigned company email account, which was used for official work-related communications.
- This email account contained essential records, including approvals, task assignments, and internal discussions that directly refute Verdant Strategies’ allegations of non-performance.
- By cutting off access, Verdant Strategies prevented Joseph from retrieving critical evidence needed to counter the false claims of contract breach.
- This action is a clear attempt to obstruct transparency and accountability, violating good-faith negotiation principles.
2. Blocking Access to Slack Communications
- Verdant Strategies also revoked Joseph’s access to Slack, which served as the primary platform for daily work discussions, approvals, and directives.
- Many of Verdant Strategies’ urgent task requests and work approvals were issued via Slack, meaning the removal of access erased crucial historical records.
- Slack communications would demonstrate Verdant Strategies‘ pattern of obstructing work through delayed approvals, further proving that Joseph was set up to fail rather than allowed to perform independently.
- Verdant Strategies’ refusal to provide access suggests intentional concealment of evidence that contradicts its narrative.
3. Violating Good-Faith Negotiation Principles
- In any legitimate contract dispute or negotiation, both parties are expected to operate in good faith by providing access to relevant records.
- By withholding crucial communications, Verdant Strategies:
- Undermined Joseph’s ability to fairly negotiate.
- Prevented Joseph from defending against false allegations.
- Created an unfair imbalance of power in the negotiation process.
- These actions constitute bad-faith tactics intended to delay, obstruct, and prevent a fair resolution.
4. Legal Implications of Withholding Evidence
- If this matter proceeds to legal action, Verdant Strategies’ deliberate withholding of key communications may be deemed spoliation of evidence, which carries legal consequences.
- Verdant Strategies’ refusal to provide access could also be considered a breach of the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing, further strengthening Josephs legal claims.
- Joseph formally demands immediate access to the withheld email account and Slack messages, as they contain material evidence relevant to this dispute.
Conclusion: Employer’s Conduct Further Proves Bad-Faith Intent
By blocking access to critical communications, Verdant Strategies has demonstrated a pattern of obstruction and deception rather than a genuine effort to resolve this dispute fairly. This further supports Joseph’s claims of wrongful termination, bad-faith negotiation, and retaliatory misconduct.
If Verdant Strategies continues to withhold access, this will be raised as a formal legal issue in any future proceedings.
