How to Remove a Harassment Review from an Ex-Employee
An ex-employee review is one of the most frustrating things a business owner can wake up to. The good news: if you know how to frame it, Google has a clear policy that makes removal straightforward.
The policy that applies: Conflict of Interest
Google’s review policies prohibit reviews from people with a conflict of interest with the business — including current and former employees, competitors, ex-partners, and people who have a personal grievance unrelated to being a customer. The policy exists because Google knows these reviews distort the average rating and damage businesses unfairly.
What Google needs from you
- Proof of the employment relationship. A payslip, employment contract, tax document, or termination letter with the reviewer’s name.
- Proof the review is not about a customer transaction. Your CRM, booking system, or sales ledger with no match for that name.
- A one-line explanation mapping the review to the Conflict of Interest clause.
The submission
This review violates Google’s Prohibited Content policy under the Conflict of Interest clause. The reviewer is a former employee of our business, not a customer. Attached: employment contract and termination letter confirming the relationship. We request removal.
What not to do
- Do not reply publicly acknowledging the reviewer’s identity — it can cross into privacy territory.
- Do not threaten legal action in the review reply. Save that for a formal letter if needed.
- Do not ask current employees to leave positive reviews to dilute the bad one. Google detects this and will penalise your listing.
If the review includes specific false claims (e.g. allegations of illegal conduct, harassment, or unsafe practices), that’s also worth flagging separately under the Defamation or Illegal Content clauses — but the Conflict of Interest path is usually the fastest win.