Leave Politics at the Door: The Workplace is No Place for Political Discourse

By Karen Wetzel

October 14, 2024

“Too close to call” is what all major news networks are saying just weeks ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election, which means tensions on both sides of the political aisle are running high.? Everyone has an opinion, and they want to express themselves.? So, how do companies and managers respect employees’ rights while protecting the company's best interest when there is so much disagreement about such an important issue?

Roger Carbajal, Senior Human Resource Specialist with HR solutions firm Insperity, keeps it real by stating, “There’s pretty much no upside to your employees talking politics at work.” In a recent article, he cautions that talking politics distracts from shared goals and common purpose in the workplace and can:

• Create division and impair relationships that would otherwise be productive and collaborative.
• Result in a hostile, contentious environment in which employees bicker and hold grudges against colleagues who have different beliefs.
• Isolate certain people and make people not want to interact with them at all

Carbajal’s recommends employers and managers take a proactive stance:

1.????? Establish a policy about political speech and activity at work.?

2.????? Apply the rules consistently.

3.????? Be prepared to step in before a situation escalates.

4.????? Remind everyone of the rules periodically.

He says that our country’s First Amendment right to?free speech isn’t protected in most private companies” BUT “some?states and municipalities?do.” ?He recommends you check with legal counsel to confirm how these might affect your organization.? You can also check out this Politics in the Workplace State-by-State Guide 2024 from SixFifty.

If you’re dealing with political anxiety at work, you are not alone.? According to a 2024 Employer Survey done by Littler (the largest global employment labor law practice), 87% of employers expressed concerns about managing divisive political and social beliefs among their employees leading up to the election.? They followed up their survey with some valuable guidelines:? Politics in the Workplace:? What Employers Need to Know.? Their key findings include:

• Dealing with politics in the workplace involves a wide range of issues, including an organization’s brand, reputation, and values.
• Politics in the workplace implicates a substantial number of labor and employment laws, including anti-discrimination laws, the National Labor Relations Act, state mandatory employer-sponsored meeting bans, and voting leave laws. Conversations regarding political issues can lead to claims of employer discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in violation of federal, state, and local employment anti-discrimination laws.
• Employers should be aware of their rights to restrict politics in the workplace and employees’ rights in this area.
• With the upcoming election, employers should be fully prepared to act proactively to mitigate issues before they arise. Doing so will lower the risk of employee complaints and simultaneously improve productivity in the workplace.

Finally, Littler concludes that a carefully crafted and uniformly enforced policy that limits certain political activities and political speech can help increase worker productivity, lower the risk of employee claims, and contribute to a better workplace.

Although navigating the political season isn’t unique to the wine industry, we are not immune to its trapping either.?

Wine Business Consultant and well-known video podcast host Austin Beeman developed his “Cone of No Politics” policy. With tongue in cheek, he says, “Politics makes wine taste terrible.” When implementing this policy, he received minor backlash at the moment, but it generated unanimous compliments in the long term.

I also spoke with Lynn Hay, Area Manager for the Artisan & Estates Division at SGWS.? Lynn leads a team of six direct reports across North Florida.? They all work from home, but she interacts with them daily and holds both virtual and in person meetings throughout the month so there are plenty of opportunities for team members to interact with each other.? She told me that SGWS has legal guidelines to safeguard protected categories and requires everyone to respect each other in the workplace.? To that end, they are required to attend company-mandated seminars that address workplace behavior. Politics falls under this umbrella.? In a state as polarized as Florida, people have strong opinions, but her employees understand that the workplace is no place for politics.

I asked Lynn about her preparation for any post-election fallout. She said the company has directed all managers to file any issues or concerns with HR.? However, she cautions managers to know when something is just friendly banter rather than something that qualifies as harassment.? “When you work with a tight-knit team for as long as I have, some of your employees become friends with you and with each other.? You have to try to neutralize a situation before it escalates and lands in the lap of HR.? You have to set boundaries so they know where the line is.? Having said that, I would go directly to HR if an employee came to me with a complaint or if I witnessed political harassment between employees.”

Finally, I asked Ms. Hay if she could advise other managers.? She said, “Just keep your team busy and focused on their work.? I pack the agendas for our meetings so there is no time for personal or political discussions.? I tell them that our industry is struggling right now, and our #1 priority is to drive business.? They have clients to see and goals to hit.? I do everything I can to keep this top-of-mind so they don’t get distracted by the politics of the moment.”

Beyond what an employer can do to mitigate the negative impact of political disagreements at work, we could all do with a bit of self-reflection.? Cathy Huyghe is the co-founder Enolytics and writes for Forbes.com with a focus on business and politics in the wine industry.? She encourages us all to remember the difference between “reacting” and “responding,” particularly in a potentially volatile situation. She says, “Reacting is knee-jerk, instinctive, and emotional while responding is slower, more careful, and thoughtful. Each has its place, but when it comes to politics at work, I will vote for responding over reacting all day long”.?

And remember, don’t assume you share similar views with your fellow employees. It’s always best to leave your politics at the door.? ??