Federal regulators have ordered Google to assure employees they are allowed to speak out on political and workplace issues, people familiar with the matter say, as part of a settlement of formal complaints that the search giant punishes those who do just that.

WASHINGTON — Google said Thursday that it had reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board over complaints from multiple employees who say the company has stymied dissent, including one who has said he was fired for being an outspoken conservative.

Google plans to explain to employees the rights they have as workers under federal law, like the ability to discuss workplace conditions, said Jenn Kaiser, a Google spokeswoman. And it will tell the employees that Google will not retaliate against them for exercising those rights.

Federal regulators ordered Alphabet Inc.'s Google unit this week to reassure employees that they may speak freely about workplace issues, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The mandate from the National Labor Relations Board is part of a settlement of formal claims that the tech giant punishes employees for raising concerns about equality and freedom of speech on the job. Current and former workers across the political spectrum have made complaints according to the Journal, which cited people it didn't identify.