Can an Ex-Employee Leave a Google Review?

Google's policies say reviews should not be based on a conflict of interest, and they name current and former employment as an example. So an ex-employee reviewing their old workplace as if they were a customer can breach the rules. The hard part is showing Google the connection, because it is rarely obvious from the review itself.

Written by Konrad Weber · Reviewed by Andrew Foster, Review Removal Specialist · Updated 2026-10-11

What Google's policy says

Under rating manipulation, Google's Maps contributed content policy prohibits content based on a conflict of interest. Its examples include current or former employment, contractual or consultancy relationships and other professional or personal affiliations. The reasoning is simple: Google reviews are meant to describe a customer's experience, and a former staff member's view of the business is coloured by the employment relationship, good or bad.

That applies in both directions. A current employee posting a glowing five-star review of their own employer breaches the same rule. Owners who encourage staff to review the business should stop.

Common forms of ex-employee reviews

A one-star review written as a "customer" that closely mirrors a workplace dispute.
A review that openly talks about pay, rosters, management or working conditions. This is also often off-topic for a customer review platform.
Reviews from friends or relatives of a departing staff member, posted around the same time.
A review naming a manager or colleague and making personal allegations, which can raise harassment or personal information issues.

How to show Google the conflict of interest

Google reviews the text, the account and the context it can see. It cannot see your payroll. You need to connect the dots in a short, factual way.

Confirm the identity carefully. Match the reviewer's name, profile photo or writing to a former employee only where you are genuinely confident. A mistaken accusation does more damage than the review.
Note the timing. A review posted days after a resignation, dismissal or dispute is a meaningful pattern.
Compare the content. Does the review mention internal matters, a specific staff member or events only an employee would know?
Report with the right reason. Use the Reviews Management Tool and choose the reason closest to conflict of interest.
Appeal with context if rejected. Explain, without unnecessary personal detail, that the reviewer worked for the business between certain dates and that the review relates to the employment, not a customer experience.

The employment context

Some employers wonder whether an employment contract can stop a former employee posting reviews. Confidentiality or non-disparagement clauses may exist in some contracts or settlement agreements, and whether they apply to a particular review depends on the wording and the circumstances. That is a question for an employment lawyer, not for Google. Google's decision turns on its own policies, not on your contract. Enforcing a contract clause through the courts is a separate process and is rarely the fastest path to removing a review.

Also be careful about how you react. Threatening a former employee, especially while there is an ongoing workplace dispute, can make matters worse. Take advice before you send any letter.

When an ex-employee review may be defamatory

A former employee is entitled to an honest opinion. But some reviews go further and state things as fact: that the owner steals wages, that a named manager is a criminal, or that the business breaks food safety laws. If those statements are false and seriously harm the reputation of an identifiable person, they may be defamatory under Australian state and territory defamation law.

Two points matter here. First, most businesses with 10 or more employees cannot sue for defamation, because only "excluded corporations" (not-for-profits, or companies with fewer than 10 employees that are not associated with another corporation) have a cause of action. Second, individuals named or identifiable in the review, such as the owner or a manager, can have their own claim. Our checklist on what makes a Google review defamatory explains how to assess this, and the online defamation page covers the law in more depth.

What not to do

Do not reply publicly naming the reviewer as a former employee or discussing why they left.
Do not ask current staff to post positive reviews to "balance it out". That breaches the same conflict-of-interest rule.
Do not offer the former employee anything in exchange for removing the review.

A neutral reply works best: "This review doesn't appear to relate to a customer visit. If you'd like to raise a concern, please contact us directly."

How G-DEFENCE can help

Ex-employee reviews are a common reason Australian businesses contact us, because the breach is real but not visible on the page. We help assemble the context Google needs and submit it through the official reporting and appeal channels. There is no upfront fee, and we invoice only if the review is removed. See pricing for details. Google makes the final call.

If you believe a former staff member is behind a review on your profile, request a free assessment and we will tell you whether the evidence is likely to support a complaint.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can an ex-employee review us on job sites like employer review platforms?

Those platforms are designed for employee reviews and have their own rules. Google's conflict-of-interest policy applies to Google Maps reviews of the business as a place or service.

What if the ex-employee was also a genuine customer?

If they genuinely used the business as a customer after leaving and are reviewing that experience, the position is less clear. The question is whether the review is about a customer experience or about the employment.

Can a relative of a former employee leave a review?

Google's policy also mentions personal affiliations and familial relationships. A relative posting in support of a former employee, without a customer experience of their own, can raise the same conflict-of-interest issue.

Is it worth reporting a positive review written by a current employee?

It is better to ask the employee to delete it. Google's policy treats it as a conflict of interest too, and leaving it up risks the credibility of your other reviews.

Should I mention unfair dismissal proceedings in my report to Google?

Only if it is necessary to show the conflict of interest, and only in neutral, minimal terms. Google is not the forum for the dispute itself.