Talking Politice could Jeapardize your Job
Discussing politics on the job can be as risky as revealing your attitudes about sex, money and religion. You can never be sure which coworkers and business associates align with your thinking, and which might not. Political talk can be especially tricky when it is the boss expressing strong views.
Nevertheless, a survey conducted in 2008 by human resources firm, Adecco USA revealed that 50% of U.S. employees polled talk about politics on the job, despite the potential for discussions of politics and political issues to quickly deteriorate from casual debate to passionately heated arguments
Work-life balance reporter, Sue Shellenbarger of the Wall Street Journal reports, “According to a survey of 727 workers conducted by Vault.com, some 35 percent of bosses openly share their political views with employees, and 9 percent of employees feel pressure to conform.”
Many employers have established guidelines surrounding discussions of the taboo subjects of sex, money, religion and politics due to raised awareness of the potential for discrimination claims. Even when the guidelines are not specifically set, there is the underlying point of view that discussing hot button issues such as the upcoming political elections interferes with productivity and therefore should not be discussed in the workplace, as such conversations have nothing to do with the job.
Most advice given byworkplace expertson the subject of whether to talk politics at work include the following suggestions:
- Before joining a political discussion check your employer's policies.
- Keep political signs, buttons and wearing apparel displaying your views at a minimum or absent altogether.
- Think carefully before posting your political views on social media sites such as face book and twitter if you are connected to coworkers, managers or other workplace colleagues.
- Be aware that you are not obligated to enter into political discussions, nor must you respond if asked your position on issues.
- Distract attention from yourself by asking, in a non-confrontational tone, why the person holding the discussion is supporting a particular candidate or initiative.
- If a colleague persists with political banter which makes you uncomfortable, pull that individual aside and say so. Only a bully would persist when asked not to, and then it becomes a human resource issue to address.
- If you cannot resist talking about politics, be sure to do so only during lunch or break time, or preferably, away from the workplace.
Read more about the ethics of discussing politics at work and the potential for breaching five fundamental ethical principleshere.
The wisest course of action might be to save political discussions for before and after work to ensure that your job will not be inadvertently jeapardized.
