"Political Blues: Partisan Views Make Coworkers See Red" - 04/17/19 Edition
Stephen Says Column
Dear Stephen:
What is the protocol on political discussions in the workplace today? I am bombarded 24/7 with opposing views on politics in the news, including my co-workers social media. I work for a furniture manufacturer in a state that turned Red in the last presidential election. When I bring clients to headquarters for a factory visit, we fly into Gerald Ford Airport. But the showroom I work out of is in New York City, and it doesn’t get any more Blue than that. Ironically our showroom and offices are a short distance to Trump Tower, so we are in the middle of the division going on in the country.
My company is a major player that manufactures office furniture with lots of subsidiaries. We own textile companies and residential retail stores, among other subsidiaries. You can imagine the great mix of people with different political viewpoints we have. And since I’m in sales, I must be sensitive to the different opinions of my customers.
I traveled to headquarters with a group of NYC clients who had strong political views, one way or the other, and then, while taking a factory tour one of the workers was wearing a MAGA hat. OMG! Now what do I say?
I really do not care about politics, especially at work. Especially at work I try to avoid any conversation of it because it is a no-win situation. Sometimes I feel dumb because I never express a strong view. How can I avoid alienating my colleagues and customers and their politics by staying neutral. I am at work getting paid to do a job, not fight a political battle.
Signed,
Neutral
Dear Neutral,
Just like Congress, we’re pretty divided in the workplace when it comes to political issues. Between the 24-hour cable news cycle and your co-worker’s social media feeds, controversial matters are constantly in the public dialogue. It’s understandable political talk would spill over into the workplace. Work and home lives are increasingly intertwined with people checking work emails at home and checking Facebook in the office. This means the old rules about not talking politics or religion at work may be challenged, but most companies still really do have rules. By the way, your employer has a right to put an end to your workplace verbal discussions of politics if they find they are preventing people from getting their work done.
Most offices have HR guidelines, so know your company’s policies on this subject. That includes even decorating your work area with political stuff.
I find it hard to believe someone would be wearing a MAGA hat on the factory floor, if only for safety reasons. I have read of people getting accosted in Costco for wearing them. People should think twice about wearing their political beliefs on a shirt or a hat at work. We might wish we had the celebrity of Colin Kaepernick who expressed his beliefs and ended up on a Nike poster, but if you did that at work you’d probably end up on the furniture industry unemployment line.
If your boss sees you are ranting about politics to your co-workers and posting during working hours on your social media, you are bound to get yourself in trouble. And if your view is different than his or hers, well, I think you can figure that out. When in doubt, bury your opinion instincts to speak up, and be neutral on the work time clock. Politics is a really touchy subject and by nature polarizing. My suggestion is to make your relationships with colleagues and bosses a priority in a workplace way, not a political way. You are at work to pursue the goals of your company not your own political agenda.
If you are an employer reading this, set some guidelines or rules for your employees. It’s your job to do that as an owner or a manager. If you are an employee, use common sense and remember while you are at work you are being paid to do a job. Concentrate on the job and stay out of conversations on work time that do not have anything to do with work. If you do not like what you read on your coworkers social feed because you do not like their politics unfriend them. No one is forcing you to read it, and the solution is certainly not to scowl or challenge them at work. We may live in a democracy but that does not mean the workplace is one. I hope you don’t think I am “deplorable” for advising you about this!
Stephen
You can send your workplace questions to Stephen at: StephenSays@bellow.press
Questions selected to be answered, will appear in this column. Please use the Subject: Stephen Says for all emails. Stephen Viscusi is a bestselling author, television personality, and CEO of The Viscusi Group, global executive recruiters located in New York. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenviscusi; Like Stephen on Facebook; and follow him on LinkedIn.
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