Since when does state tyranny have anything to do with continuing a private relationship with someone who publicly trashes you?
Both situations have a worker (or citizen) negatively affected by a large and powerful entity, which the worker (citizen) is a part of, because of what the worker (citizen) has said.
Regarding "private" relations: You don't think it would be a freedom of speech issue if, for example, you bashed Scientology out in public and as a consequence the Church of Scientology sent people to harass you and tried to make you look like a terrorist in the eyes of FBI (which has happened)?
Refreshed by a brief blackout, I got to my feet and went next door. -- Martin Amis, _Money_