Managing Political Talk in the Workplace

With the presidential election just weeks away, it can be hard for employees to completely avoid politically divisive talk at work. 

For the most part, workers know what they’re supposed to do. Just as they’ve been advised to keep politics away from the Thanksgiving dinner table, offensive political discussions aren’t supposed to find their way into the workplace. 

And yet here we are, in one of the most emotionally charged election seasons in decades.  

In today’s environment, there are multiple chances for people to be offended. Maybe an employee — or a co-worker — attended a political rally over the weekend that left a big impression, and they’re eager to share their feelings. Or they listened to a political ad or news report that riled them up on the way to the office. Or they pulled their car into the office parking lot and saw an offensive political statement prominently displayed on the rear window of a car. 

These kinds of sensitivities beg employees to speak up. With the workplace a fraught place for political expression, leaders and communicators can play an important role in setting the right tone and ensuring that a politically toxic environment doesn’t find its way inside work.  

Why leader tone matters 

I recognized the importance of this recently while attending a meeting where people were talking about plans for the year ahead, and the presidential election came up. Suddenly, a senior leader made a negative comment about one of the candidates. The leader didn’t use a name, but it was clear which side he favored, putting down the other party in the process.

I understood that the person was having a human moment and trying to share a personal perspective. However, the comment had negative consequences, with the conversation shifting and people looking uncomfortable. 

This made me wonder how the leader’s direct reports and others in the room might have felt. Did they feel minimized for having a different view and silenced for having an opposing opinion from their boss? How would they feel about expressing their views in the future, if asked? I felt like the comment was a one-way jab that put others in the difficult position of being unable to defend their views or have a healthy discussion about them. 

Multiple research studies have shown that one of the quickest ways to disengage workers today is to erode their trust in leadership. Leaders and managers need to demonstrate that they care about the emotional well-being of all employees, including employees who may be impacted by potentially offensive political speech. 

Employees today are also already feeling burned out and checked out, and are looking to their managers to have their backs and build a workplace culture where they feel supported and respected. Divisive political talk is one of the quickest ways to destroy a healthy culture. 

Based on our work with leaders across various industries, here are some critical tips for keeping the workplace free of toxic political discourse during this election season (and after the results come in).

1. Encourage respect. 

Leaders can simply remind employees of the divisive political atmosphere and the need to treat each other with respect and refrain from political speech that may offend a colleague. Share with employees that your organization does not tolerate religious, racial, sexual or political discrimination of any kind. 

2. Know your company’s values and communicate them. 

Organizations can differ widely on their openness to discuss politics at work, so leaders need to ensure that their teams are up to date on the company’s policies and values. And whatever the policies may be, organizations should encourage civic-minded policies such as offering time off to vote. 

3. Create a safe and supportive space for employees.

As a leader, share with employees that the work culture promotes a safe space for them. If they’re uncomfortable with anything expressed that may have been offensive, then they should know they can go to their leader to discuss it. 

4. Know when to weigh-in on political issues. 

In many cases, there may be issues that your company wishes to take a stand on that could be considered political in nature, including climate change, the environment, human rights or emerging political crises. 

In these situations, it can be challenging for organizations to know when to speak out. Yet that can lead organizations to be tone-deaf to the needs of all employees and concern for their well-being when employees are looking to leadership to respond in some way to an emerging crisis that impacts many employees. 

By not communicating at all, leaders are also sending a message. Listening and showing that you care does not have to be political. 

5. Adopt a smart process for communication during a potential political crisis.

When deciding whether to communicate about a potentially controversial political issue, here’s a useful response framework to keep in mind:

• Relevance: Who does the issue impact? Is employee safety or well-being at risk? What’s the full context behind the issue? How does the issue or incident relate to the company’s purpose and values?
• Reputation: How will this communication (or lack thereof) impact our reputation? What’s the potential cost and risk of staying silent versus engaging, especially if employee safety and well-being have been demonstrated to be at risk?
• Relational: How will a response or (or no response) impact our relationships? Is this an important time to demonstrate that we genuinely stand by our values and care for our employees, customers and other stakeholders?

When considering whether to communicate, the easiest decision may feel like just staying on the sidelines. But as I’ve said many times, exceptional leadership is not a spectator sport. And as I’ve seen repeatedly, employees are looking to their leaders to support their emotional well-being and to demonstrate that they care — even (and especially) in a fraught political time.