Abortion Ruling and the Workplace

First and foremost, this is not an article about the morality of abortion. But I will tell you how I stand.

• As a Christian, I believe abortion is the ending of a valuable human life that has the imago dei imprinted on it.
• As a libertarian, I believe in?bodily autonomy?
• As a man and will never understand totally the decision a woman would struggle to make-and I have no right to make it for her- I believe this decision is between herself and her god and her doctor.
• As a business person, I want to do my job regardless of a person's moral, ethical, religious, or political views. And I want you to do your job too.

What really happened with the Supreme Court decision?

But perhaps a bit of insight about what really happened- not the media's version.

All that happened is that the court removed itself from the moral and societal question of when life begins, when and how it should be protected, and what abortion policy should be.

And that is exactly what the Supreme Court should have done decades ago. This was never an issue for the court in the US- It has always been a local/state issue, and that is where it should have remained.?

The Supreme Court simply ruled there is no constitutional right to an abortion, they don't address the question of whether it should be legal, and under what circumstances.

In 1973, when Roe was adjudicated, it 'created' law which illegally took it out of the hands of our state and federal legislature - where it rightly belonged. If the Supreme Court in 1973 did its job, it would have sent it back to the states. The ONLY way that should have been ruled on was if there was a federal or state law that was brought before them to rule on the constitutionality.?

The Supreme Court decides what is constitutional, they aren't supposed to be deciding public policy or moral questions for us.?Those questions have been returned to the people?where, according to the Constitution, (see the 10th amendment), is where it belongs.

Now people, and the local government that represent them, can have that difficult debate and can create laws at the federal or state level (or both). They can also refuse to create laws and allow the doctor and the woman make those difficult decisions.?

What to do at work?

The debate did not end Friday, it begins. And it has in earnest.

To be sure it's one of the most difficult questions we face, but in a free society, the debate can and should occur, rationally and respectfully. There are forums to do this. And while there will be water cooler conversations at work, it should not distract from what we are to do and who we are serving. Especially if someone else is writing your paycheck. And it certainly should not degenerate in hatred for those with other views.?We must all work together in a society filled with diverse opinions.

We will most certainly disagree, but as humans and co-workers we should be able to do so in a civil manner.?Unfortunately, with the derisive nature of media - specifically social media - we are portrayed as those who cannot have a conversation. Yet we do have disagreements at work, and we handle them. I think this topic is different. Abortion is one of those things that is so intensely personal and cuts at the core of morality for so many that it is a subject that simply cannot be discussed in a civil manner. And for that reason, I do not believe this is an appropriate workplace conversation.

It delves very closely into those things which we are told we should not speak about at Thanksgiving dinner - religion and politics. I think that is a good standard for the workplace. Just like at Thanksgiving dinner, as a free moral agent you have the right to do it, but is it wise or helpful? More often than not, the meal is ruined when we do that. Workplace cohesion can be easily destroyed and very quickly when these topics are broached.

As business owners and entrepreneurs, we need to consider policies in our workplace that encourage freedom of thought and speech, but also boundaries around controversial topics that can cut at the very fiber of who we are trying to serve and the goals we are trying to accomplish. A hard topic to be sure - but the culture of your company is at stake.

Putting stakes in the ground

Because there are quite a few issues that divide us, we need to focus on those things which unite us. And while I believe there needs to be appropriate boundaries around workplace conversations, this is not the last time that a divisive topic will come up that threatens the cohesion and culture you struggle to build. Here are some ideas that will help you preserve the peace:

1. Continue a consistent focus on business strategy and goals and make them known to your people regularly.
2. A consistent focus on your business mission, purpose, and vision.
3. Positive feedback on jobs well done - celebration!
4. Continued feedback between management and employees on positive things that are aligned with the culture you are trying to build.

In other words, place the focus at work with your employees where it should be- on work. Make it about the good things your company is doing, as well as the employees' important roles in it. Redirection is important. It is not about silencing opinions, it is about maintaining culture and cohesion.

What if it has already had a negative impact?

I am hoping for a day when we can disagree but still unite around the principles of liberty and justice for all - all while getting our work done.

But this day is not today, unfortunately. I have seen and heard too many vile things said. Whatever side you approach this topic from, it is one that more often than not divides even families.

If this conversation has already done damage at your workplace (you may not see it- it may be festering) maybe now is the time to issue a statement - or address it publicly.

It needs to be made clear that we can have our own opinions- but they need to stay outside of work, as well as outside of workplace communications and work-related social media. You can feel free to address the elephant in the room - recent Supreme Court decisions, elections, things happening in the news. You, as a business owner, are in control to a point.

You can feel free to share your personal opinion. Better, however, to model what you want to see in your company. If you are radically on one side or another on a topic, probably better to model true tolerance for divergent opinions and keep the focus on work.

And if there are disagreements that occur, the best thing to do is to bring all concerned into a room and bring the focus back to what they are there for- work. And if there are parties who cannot or will not do that, you may have to cut them loose. Better to have fewer people and cohesion than an undercurrent of bile.

At the end of the day, as employers and employees we need to be able to draw a hard line as to what is appropriate and inappropriate to talk about at work. It would be good if we could discuss all topics in a civil and productive manner. But that is for your own kitchen table or coffee shop. Work is for work, and we should be able to get on board the train to accomplish company goals while we are there That is something we can all agree on.