Is My Employer Allowed to Write Me Up for Changing TV Channels?
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP
President & CEO, SHRM, F500 Board Director
This article originally appeared in USA Today's Ask HR on November 12, 2019.
Question: The break room at my job has a TV with the news on. It’s OK when my co-workers change it from CNN to NBC, but one day when I changed it to Fox News, I got written up. Is that allowed? – Anonymous
Johnny C. Taylor Jr.: While it may seem unfair, that action is allowed. Every organization has the right to establish its own unique workplace culture, which can include creating policies that specify what content is allowed – or disallowed – on workplace TV screens.
For example, some employers forbid employees from changing channels without receiving permission first. Others prohibit changing the channel, period. In any case, the employer has the right to enact the policy, up to and including disciplining employees for doing what you did.
The real problem here, however, has nothing to do with the channel on TV. It’s the fact that a manager chose to reprimand you, rather than start a civil conversation with you.
American society is deeply divided today, and these divisions increasingly are putting co-workers at odds in ways that should concern U.S. companies.
Nearly half of American employees have personally experienced political disagreements at work, and more than a third, like you, say their workplace is not inclusive of different political persuasions.
Political differences are another dimension of diversity. Companies need to adapt to the new reality that employees talk politics and you can’t stop them. So, rather than react to crises or ignore the problem, they should be proactive by setting up guardrails that can guide discussions (if they need to occur) in civil, constructive directions. Otherwise, employers will pay the price in turnover costs when employees leave for a more welcoming workplace. (It is, after all, the best market for job seekers in five decades.)
Here’s how you might play your part in promoting civility. Go to the individual who disciplined you and make time to talk with him or her. Now, the idea here isn’t to revoke the write-up. Instead, reveal your motives so as to undo whatever misunderstandings might exist between you. Make it clear that you weren’t intending to provoke others or be divisive – you changed the channel in good faith.
Remember, it’s not about settling debates – that’ll never happen. It’s about learning to disagree without being disagreeable and getting back to work together afterward.
Coaching Others to Make a Life Rather than a Just Living || Sharing Wisdom in a Scroll || Keynote Speaker & Author || Award-winning Culture Changer & Leader || Middle-Brained Professional & Loving Dad
5 年Nice piece Johnny! I’m from Canada. We’re probably more PC and taboo with our politics and mirror our American counterparts in political ideologies to some extent. I try to create a safe space to allow people to speak, so we can promote mutual understanding. I founded and lead an organization that was created to build a workplace community for public sector workers in Canada. One of our cultural values I stress is that, “we can agree to disagree but let’s do it agreeably”. I teach my community-at-work that we can disagree with ideas but not with identities. We should leave the room after our robust debate on ideas to still respectfully appreciate each other’s unique identities (and stories). I try to lead by example to not take my ideas/opinions too seriously. I encourage others the same. In my belief, that’s one of the ways we can transform the way we work with others with inclusion, joy and resiliency. I think we need to encourage that sense of security and identity at work. I encourage more HR professionals to think in that vein. Thanks for sharing Johnny.
Revenue-Driven Sales & Marketing Professional | Team Builder | Growth & Strategy Expert
5 年Great advice! Sounds like a good opportunity for a cup of coffee and a conversation rather than a write up.... Amen? ??
The Talent Alchemist | MBA Candidate | Executive Search | Early Careers | Graduate Development | Employer Branding | Blogger | Speaker | MamaCub
5 年Thank you for the wisdom, Johnny. People Managers have the most important role, they can make or break people. We need to develop our spiritual quotient, it is just as important at EQ and IQ, because spiritual intelligence brings a deeper meaning to life, allowing us to be more compassionate towards others. People are not robots, we need to treat them with care and respect.
The willingness to view politics differently has to start with HR Professionals. I have always been the one to steer far away from politics in the workplace to ensure that employees see me as the neutral party, however just in the past six months I have showed more openness and it has invoked some great conversations that I have had the opportunity to be present for more than once. I don’t get into debates but I do nod and say I didn’t think of it that way or oh, ok that makes sense. Who would have thought that those small changes in my response would be so impactful.