12.7 Defamation.

• Jurisdiction: Arizona

12.7 Defamation. As described below, employment disputes present interesting recurring issues in the context of defamation claims:

An employer’s communication to another employer of a defamatory statement regarding an employee or former employee may result in the employee’s failure to obtain or retain employment with a second employer. An employer’s communication to a licensing or regulatory authority of a defamatory statement regarding an employee or former employee similarly may result in the loss of employment opportunities. A defamatory communica-tion between two employees of an employer within the scope of their employment also may result in a third employee losing a position with that employer or another employer.

There is, however, a strong countervailing public interest in open and candid...