The law already protects certain attributes of employees such as race, gender, and age. Certain conduct is also protected. However, despite our strong attachment to free speech in the United States, employees are not free to express themselves in a public forum without fear of employer retribution.
A free society depends upon an educated, informed citizenry who can openly express themselves and compare ideas in public forums. It's time to enshrine free speech in a public forum as protected conduct for employees, just as the federal government already does for its own employees.