A disgruntled ex-employee is posting about us everywhere. What can we actually do?

There is a real path forward here, and it is more constructive than it first appears. The effective response runs two tracks simultaneously and holds them open for months: an active reputation track that you can begin immediately, and a legal track that runs in parallel. What does not work, chasing a quick takedown, is the smaller part of the picture; the larger part is what you can actively build.

Track 1: Reputation and platform response

• Continuous monitoring, track the former employee’s activity across the platforms they are using (typically Glassdoor, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, sometimes Reddit, occasionally a personal blog or Substack). Ongoing monitoring, through tools such as Five Blocks’ AIQ and IMPACT, is what lets you respond early rather than discover damage after it has spread.
• Platform reports for policy violations, most platforms accept reports for content that contains identifying information, personal attacks, or plagiarized material. File these where specific posts cross those lines.
• Authoritative counter-content, build employee testimonials, third-party press, and recognition coverage on the same queries the negative posts are ranking for. This is the primary reputation lever over time, and it is the one most fully within your control.

Track 2: Legal review

• Review the separation agreement, counsel identifies any non-disparagement clause and assesses whether the posts constitute a breach.
• Assess NDA exposure, if the former employee is disclosing confidential information, a separate set of remedies applies.
• Evaluate corrective options, counsel advises on what, if anything, can be pursued on the underlying labor or contractual matter before any public response is made. Pursuing public takedown first can complicate legal options later.

Glassdoor specifically

Glassdoor is the most common platform in this scenario and has distinct mechanics that give you concrete, legitimate levers:

• Employer responses are available via a Free Employer Account: Glassdoor allows an official employer response of up to 5,000 characters on any company review, interview review, or benefit review. Responding does not remove the original review; it sits visibly beneath it, and a factual, professionally worded response is seen by every future candidate.
• Reporting for violations, Glassdoor does accept reports for content that violates its Community Guidelines, including privacy violations, impersonation, and content that instigates harassment by revealing personal or confidential information. Where a specific post crosses those lines, this is a genuine avenue.
• Tone of employer response matters, a factual, professionally worded response is the primary tool available and is visible to every future candidate. Defensive or dismissive responses tend to amplify rather than defuse the original post.
• Wholesale suppression is not available, Glassdoor’s stated policy is that content is never suppressed, filtered, or deleted simply because it is negative. Removal requires a specific policy violation (e.g., personally identifying information, impersonation, or a documented conflict of interest). Knowing this up front lets you focus energy on the levers that do move the needle.

What to be wary of

• Promises of quick removal on Glassdoor or similar platforms are almost always false, Glassdoor’s policies and public statements confirm that negative content is not removed on request. Anyone promising a quick takedown is usually selling something that either does not work or creates new legal exposure.
• Aggressive legal threats made publicly before counsel has reviewed the full situation can escalate the story and create new exposure.
• Ignoring the posts entirely allows them to compound; the combination of professional response and counter-content is more effective than either alone.

The combination of both tracks, sustained over months, is what moves the needle. This is coordinated, ongoing work, monitoring, disciplined platform response, and steady counter-content, run alongside legal review, and it is exactly the kind of program a firm like Five Blocks manages end to end.