Why is it legal for companies to be able to tell employees who they can and cannot socialize with outside of work?

Yes, it is an invasion of your privacy, but I do not know if it is legal or not. It likely is legal, I know of no law against this. If you do not like this, you are free to quit your job - right?Also, an employer may, in GA, discharge you for socializing with persons that they do not approve or do restrict, since Georgia recognizes the doctrine of employment at will. Employment at will means that in the absence of a written contract of employment for a defined duration, an employer can terminate an employee for good cause, bad cause, a mistaken cause, or no cause at all, so long as it is not an illegal cause. Illegal causes are limited in Georgia to the EEOC/Discrimination grounds: : If it is not on that list, it is not protected in GA. For more information: http://sos.georgia.gov/firststop/georgia_employers.htm Otherwise socializing with the "wrong" person(s) would be one of these: good cause, bad cause, a mistaken cause, or no cause at all e with outside of work tell employees who they can and cannot socialize with outside of work?

You did not provide any facts or context with your question, but I agree that an employer typically cannot tell an employee who to socialize with or not outside of work.

That would be generally true, however, I would have to know the details before I would offer an opinion.

I am not aware of any law that allows employers to do that. On the other hand, the employers can terminate you for no reason. So they cannot tell you that you can not see somebody, but if they find out that you have, they can terminate you.

There are very few laws that exist to give employees any rights.