Work/life, public/private: how employers should navigate our politicized world

The emerging post-Dobbs discourse is fraught-- but ultimately hopeful

It’s been fascinating– both sad and empowering– to read so many overtly political posts on LinkedIn in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decisions, especially Dobbs. Jen Wei, Belkin International’s VP of Comms and a close collaborator with Portal Schools, summed it up: “we are devastated by this ruling.”?

Dozens of posts expressed similar concerns, and many comments pushed back. My conclusion: for better or worse, the era of apolitical business is over. That’s a good thing, and affects all of us– not just in business but the social and civic sectors.??

In fact, the Dobbs backlash signals a sea change with profound implications for capitalism and our culture. Let me explain.

First, we might sympathize for a moment with the fading status quo. It’s understandable that companies traditionally don’t want to get involved in politics or culture wars: it’s like choosing to walk in a minefield. First, you can’t please everyone. Second, if you’re genuinely interested in cultivating diversity– not just racial or socioeconomic but philosophical and political– taking sides may be a self-own. Not properly handled, it could undermine team culture and even the bottom line. Good luck, HR! Finally, public-private boundaries are a pillar of professionalism, as is learning to work with “the other,” however defined. We can’t all be friends, and that’s ok.????

Moreover, it’s not that delicate or controversial issues can’t be addressed internally: they should and often must be. But that is very different than taking an external, public stance “as a company”. Especially in today’s highly politicized culture war climate, this risks invoking public wrath, a backlash, or simply distracting folks from your core identity. In sum, a cost benefit analysis suggests hewing the party line: “it’s not the? domain of business to interfere in personal or political debates…”

Yet over the last 20 years the opposite has happened: the party line has been irrevocably challenged. Say what you will about wokeness or political correctness, which have their flaws and excesses; but a great accomplishment of social justice movements has been to widen the Overton window of acceptable company discourse, culture and practice. This is about bending the arc of history toward fairness and inclusion, however messy that may be. At the corporate level, moving from its buttoned-down, white-male-led, default conservative origins to a more inclusive future is a good thing. It reflects the changing mores and demographics of American society as well as the diverse nature of our global world, where identities are increasingly hybrid and fluid.???

In short, we’re seeing that business culture– from corporate to startup– cannot exist in a bubble, however “business-friendly” they may be. That’s because businesses are composed of humans with lives outside of work, many of which are deeply affected by decisions being made by politicians, judges, and CEOs.?

After all, “leaving one’s politics at home” has always been a practical but self-serving policy. The only way it was ever going to work was within a larger civil, if contested, cultural and political context and a generally positive economic one. That, traditionally, has been the case in 20th century America. The economy grew, prosperity was shared, America led by example, globalization was a rising tide, and diversity was increasingly embraced. It was by no means a perfect time, but by the end of the century, we could identify common goals and progress.

But the 21st century has been different. The VUCA era – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous– has been marked by widening socioeconomic stratification, a climate crisis, and paralysis of governance, both globally and nationally. In the US, chaos, confusion and culture wars have ushered in a seemingly permanent crisis mode. We can trace this from the contested 2000 election and 9/11, to the 2008 financial crash and fallout, to Trump’s ascendancy and the Supreme Court’s politicization (which goes back to the GOP’s unprecedented 2016 blocking of an Obama nominee). Throw in the rise of social media, the mainstreaming of identity politics, an historic pandemic, growing drug addiction and homelessness, and now inflation. By 2022, it appears that everything is broken.?

We’ve entered an age of anxiety. This encourages new ways of thinking, which can cut both ways– either conspiratorial and desperate or empowering and entrepreneurial. Either way, business is part of the problem and must be part of the solution. Neutrality works when things are working; but when things are broken, institutional values matter. Purpose matters.?

With a growing billionaire class protecting their own interests while refusing to pay a living wage, how can workers abide the stifling of unionization? How can anyone accept the current state of health care in the richest country in the world? The cost of early childcare? The lack of vacation time? How can corporate workers carry on quietly while their bosses make political contributions to enable these very policies? This is not about politics but about basic human decency. It’s about recognizing that non-elite people (and many “elites”) can increasingly see themselves as victims of a great American scam in which they’re working harder just to make ends meet, and distracted from quality of life issues by cheap entertainment and culture war fear mongering.?

To be clear, business is certainly not the boogeyman in this complex dynamic. But it is inextricably intertwined. As people make choices based on their aspirations for full lives in a time of crisis, employers must listen. Talent will vote with their feet. In this scenario, corporates especially have a massive opportunity. Rather than get bogged down in culture war statements, they can take concrete steps to protect workers, provide healthcare, lead with transparency and integrity, and add value to the workplace in creative new ways. As an example of a savvy approach, see JFF's (Jobs for the Future) response to the Dobbs ruling. They share a strong POV on preserving abortion access, but in the "corporate leadership" context, frame it as an economic and business issue:

"What's good for women is not only good for business, it's good for the economy."

By hedging along material rather than ethical imperatives, one might accuse JFF of missing the forest for the trees here. On the contrary: they are in the arena. They are showing understandably concerned corporate leaders a way through this fraught moment, in accessible and concrete ways.

Which is to say, this is not some theoretical call from the ivory tower. Enlightened business is already here and has been for some time–it’s just been unevenly distributed. There is no shortage of evidence that ideological or political positions have a rightful place in capitalism’s evolution.? The rise of impact investing, conscious capitalism, ESG and the like speak to this. We’re moving from shareholder culture– profit at any cost, to a minority of investors– to stakeholder culture– profit that honors all those involved in the work, from workers to the environment.? In a time of progress, the Court's decisions on abortion, guns, and environment stand out as massively regressive. Leaders must have the courage and common sense to call that out.

As Emily Behoberac opened a recent post: “I have had 2 abortions. I have zero regrets.” She went on to say:

“We, as leaders, have an opportunity to stand up for the reproductive rights of our employees. We have the opportunity not just to listen, but to take action. For any leader who proudly displays their company values, it's time to live up to them.

?For companies that can afford it (as I know it's not possible for all), I'd encourage you to follow in the steps of Netflix, eBay, DICK'S Sporting Goods, and many others in offering travel reimbursement for employees that must leave their state to get the healthcare they need. If this isn't possible, consider donating to organizations like Planned Parenthood Federation of America that are leading the fight.”

This kind of commitment is not only the right thing to do; it will inspire loyalty. And the numbers are clear: the coming generations of workers and leaders– Millennials and GenZ– seek value-driven jobs and workplaces with meaningful volunteerism options.? For employers, it’s not about telling employees what to think or how to live their lives; it’s about helping achieve fulfillment and purpose within an inclusive community.?That shouldn't be political-- it should be aspirational.

There are many ways to do this. In retrospect, the foosball-and-kegerator era led by startups and coworking spaces was a small but key step in the process of integrating joy and humanity into the workplace. Covid accelerated our hybrid reality (and made us rethink real estate and commuting). Now, bizarrely perhaps, Supreme Court decisions have challenged employers to take a stand. However messy it may feel, there is simply no going back. Doing nothing while the world burns is no longer an option.