7 Policies You Already Have To Help Support The Workplace During Election Season
It feels like election season has been upon us this whole year, but things are certainly heating up as we get closer and closer to the day – and I’m starting to see more and more businesses running into election-related issues.
It can be hard to know what to do when, say, someone shows up with a certain political flag on the back of their truck, or a barrage of far-leaning stickers on a water bottle, or simply goes over the top with their own political convictions making staff or clients uncomfortable.
Here’s the good news: you most likely already have the policies you need to manage most of the situations that might occur.
Nearly all companies have employment policies that guide you on how to handle politically-related issues that come up.
Here’s 7 of the most common policies, and how you can use them in this context:
Core Values
Your Core Values or your Culture Doc should be your first go-to when it comes to managing any kind of out-of-bounds behavior at work, and this is no exception. Remind employees of the kind of values and expectations you’ve all agreed to align around by working here, and help shift the focus to common ground, rather than divisiveness. Here is a glance of what that might include.
Example:
Lululemon’s Impact Agenda includes; Our people succeed because we provide an environment that is equitable, inclusive and fosters growth.
Divisive and alienating behavior aren’t aligned with this statement and it’s an easy way to approach a situation and employee who is demonstrating these behaviors.
If workplace activities rise to the level that they violate Core Values, this is a good way to create alignment and address the behavior.
Social Media Policy
This is one of the easiest places for staff to get tripped up, since so much political discourse happens on social media, and it can feel separate from the work environment. Hold up though, this is a real misnomer. Remind employees of your social media policy so they clearly know the boundaries when it comes to their social media use, particularly when it comes to their connection with the company and coworkers online.
Where do employees get tripped up? Imagine that an employee is friends with coworkers online and that same employee shares an article from a politician that includes a derogatory headline about a group of people based on _________ (fill in the blank) (race, gender, religion, national origin, etc, etc....). In many cases this could violate several workplace policies but particularly your social media policy and even your harassment prevention policy.
Example phrasing:
“Harassment, discrimination, or otherwise inappropriate conduct on social media, even for personal use may have negative consequences at work.”
Dress Code Policy
This is such a tricky one, because it can cover things most people wouldn’t think about. For instance, wearing political slogans or logos for controversial social movements on T-shirts, or having political posters up in cubicles. With the advent of remote meetings, it’s even easier for employees to accidentally slip up by having a political item on their bulletin board (in their Zoom background), or a sticker on their water bottle. Use the dress code policy in combination with the Use of Company Equipment policy to address issues like these.
The best messaging to the workplace to avoid potential conflict related to politics is to ‘remain neutral at work’.
Some employers may choose to eliminate this conflict upfront. Example phrasing:
“The company prohibits employees from wearing attire that displays non-work-related logos, buttons, or T-shirts. This policy aims to eliminate visual expressions of support for any political party or candidate within the workplace. However, it is important to note that the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) affords both union and non-union employees certain protections for messaging related to work-related issues, such as human rights or a stance on minimum wage.”
Use of Company Equipment
Most employees know not to use the office copier to make pamphlets for their preferred political party, or manage campaign support while they’re at work, but that isn’t always the case. Remind the workforce that company equipment is for work, and work only.
Example phrasing:
“We restrict the use of equipment and resources for non-work-related purposes. Company equipment and resources encompass work computers, email, physical and electronic bulletin boards, messaging platforms, printers, copiers, and similar tools.”
If you have an employee using their Teams or Zoom background to promote a political viewpoint this is a good policy to reference. That and the idea of remaining neutral at work!
Non-Solicitation Policy
This can be a hard one to navigate if you have a spoken (or unspoken) rule that people can solicit for things like Girl Scout cookies. In an ideal environment no-solicitation means even for Girl Scout Cookies. Ruthless, I know, but your health insurance costs will benefit from this policy too! A non-solicitation policy protects the workplace from being pressured towards the slippery slope of gathering signatures for a ballot measure or soliciting for contributions to a political campaign. While employees are of course welcome to raise funds or do political work outside the workplace, they can’t do it at work or on behalf of the workplace.
Example phrasing:
“Our organization enforces a non-solicitation policy that prohibits employees from soliciting donations, campaigning, or distributing non-work related materials in the workplace. This includes Girl Scout Cookies.”
Conflict Resolution
Chances are you already have a conflict resolution policy in place, which is great – because it might get a workout this Fall! Reminding employees of what’s expected of them when it comes to conflict can help defuse situations before they get out of hand. Plus, if employees know that there’s support on hand to deal with conflict that comes up, they can feel safer in their day-to-day interactions.
Example phrasing:
“If you find yourself engaged in a political discussion that makes you uncomfortable, you have options.
Carefully disengage from the conversation (whether in person, virtual, or electronic), or shift the conversation to a new subject.
Respect is critical. Take the high-road and address the comments in a way that everyone feels respected.
If the conversation is getting heated, employees can always engage their manager or Human Resources for help to de-escalate, support or to intervene.
Notice the following policies… that are already in place at ABC company that further support our efforts to maintain a healthy and respectful workplace, always.”
Conflict of Interest
This one might not seem particularly relevant, but what if your company works with a client with a vested political or social stance, and then one of your employees comes in with a button for an opposing stance on their bag? The Conflict of Interest policy can help address issues like these before they arise.
Example phrasing:
Employees must self-disclose when personal interests could conflict with the interests of the company. Any potential conflicts, whether financial, political, relational, or otherwise, must be disclosed to management immediately in order to address the conflict at the earliest opportunity.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for some language to share that’s preventative in nature I invite you to read the quote below from Jon Acuff. Take your own spin on this rise above message and create an on-brand message to your workgroup.
“May your peace be too deep to trade for the bitter shallowness of politics. May your joy be too rich to exchange for the thin reward of winning an argument with a stranger (coworker). May your patience be too hard won to give up for the rage of the moment.” -- Jon Acuff, CEO of Acuff Ideas
Even with an ounce of prevention, the chances are high that something – big or small – will come up at your company over the next few months. Remember that you’ve already done the work to prepare for this.
