A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management finds there's been a 12% increase in the number of U.S. workers who say they have been subject to political affiliation bias over the last three years. Nearly 25% of 504 workers polled in late August admit to personally experiencing such bias, either positive or negative, due to their political views. That compares with about half, 12%, who felt that way in 2019.
“Unfortunately, we've seen a real decline in civility when people express their opinions and beliefs, and it's a barrier to success for employers and their employees,” says SHRM president and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. “This trend has been fueled by the relative anonymity of social media, and it has spilled into our communities and our workplaces. In today's climate, people are saying, 'I can't work with you if you don't share my views.’”
The SHRM survey also finds that 45% of workers have experienced political disagreements at their workplace. “Differences in political viewpoint is indeed a diversity issue,” says Jonathan Segal, an attorney with Duane Morris in Philadelphia and New York City. “It is but one example of diversity in thought. It is neither possible nor desirable to attempt to prohibit any political workplace discussions. An attempt by management to do so may align those who disagree on almost every political issue to agree on one thing: The employer is overreaching.”
Another SHRM survey reveals that just 8% of organizations have conveyed guidelines to employees pertaining to political discussions at the workplace in the leadup to the midterms. That survey of 1,525 HR professionals was done from Aug. 25 to Sept. 11. “Any antibullying or harassment policy could be amended to include the phrase, 'Although we encourage an open dialogue as to matters of national significance, when it comes to politics, employees must conduct discussions respectfully and without threatening or disruptive tone in the workplace,’” says Steven Loewengart, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Columbus, Ohio.
John Porta, an attorney with Jackson Lewis in New York City, notes that “any such policy should make clear it is not intended to prevent employees from discussing their working conditions or otherwise engaging in protected activity.”
“Employers should train their management staff on how to defuse situations if the communications become emotional or agitated,” Porta adds.
Abhinav Gupta, a scholar with the Academy of Management and an associate professor of management at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, notes that since 2014 more organizations have become politically charged as top leaders became more outspoken on social and political matters, The Washington Post reports.
The SHRM survey on political affiliation bias finds that almost 40% of workers say that political banter in the workplace has become more common in the last three years. “It seems like companies are becoming more politically polarized one way or the other,” Gupta tells The Washington Post. “When CEOs come out and speak about a political issue or controversial social issue, that essentially speeds up this process of homogenization. It makes employees whose political views are different from that of the CEO feel more uncomfortable, more unwelcome in the company.”
As political discussion becomes more frequent in the work place, company CEOs will need to be active players especially as more employees look to an employer that embraces their own values, Fast Company reports. One major issue that will garner many workers’ attention in the election is how their employers deal with the Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade and the potential economic implications for workers. More CEOs have reached out to Jen Stark, co-director of the Center for Business and Social Justice, on how they can push for issues in private as well as in the public. “I think the impact is really vast, and now is becoming more tangible at a community level,” Stark says.
CEOs need to appreciate that politics and business are tightly linked, and with many Americans having little trust in government, workers may turn to their employers to fill that void. “Regardless of the electoral outcome, companies need to stay the course, align their aspirations, their words, and their actions,” Stark says. “For better or for worse, that’s the moment we’re in.”
As with every election, employers should make sure their current policies and practices are in compliance with current laws and be ready for employees who request time off in the leadup to Election Day, The National Law Review reports. “Employers also should consider the impact of remote employees, which may allow greater flexibility in meeting relevant obligations, as well as how to address any technical posting requirements,” the publication notes. “And, of course, employers must consider employee morale, as in some organizations there is an expectation that the employer will make voting easy for employees and ensure the company complies with any existing policies.”