With the
2012 Presidential election drawing closer, politics is a hot topic. People are
eager to share their opinions and ideas on both candidates, as well as a myriad
of issues. While it is acceptable and expected in a lot of venues, the workplace
is not usually one of them. Remember--the right to free speech does not extend
to the workplace.
The single most
important thing to remember while socializing at work is that not everyone
shares the same opinions. Keeping political conversation to a minimum is
important to avoid arguments and hurt feelings. Alienating friends and
coworkers is a mistake. While these issues feel pressing today, once the
election is over it will be hard to mend broken relationships. Trashing others’
political opinions may be very damaging to your work relationships. Just like in life, everyone wants their
thoughts respected, and coworkers are no different.
Sharing
political views with clients is unacceptable. There is nothing worse than
having the person selling you shoes or fixing your tires telling you who to
vote for. Not only is it inappropriate, it is uncomfortable and can affect
future business dealings. Keep politics out of the customer relationship. In
today’s economy it does not pay to lose any business.
Political
peer pressure can work both ways. If a client attempts to engage in political
discourse, how should it be handled? Politely side step the conversation and
change the subject. Delicately laughing off or skirting the conversation, no
matter how passionate you may be on the subject, is the most diplomatic path. Getting
into a heated discussion can have a negative effect on future business, and
rarely is losing the client worth it.
While your
car may be covered in stickers and your yard may be a sea of signs, your office
should remain neutral territory. In most cases, workspace belongs to the
company. Respect the office dress code, and do not wear political message tee
shirts or campaign gear. Flaunting these rules sets the company up to censor
you, and unless you are organizing coworkers union-style, they have every right
to do so. If management chooses to keep the office space politics-free, that
decision must be respected. Getting fired for bucking the system may feel like a
win, but in the long run it means you will be looking for another job and your
last job reference will probably not be positive.
Though employees have limited speech at work, owners do not. An employer has the right
to stump for candidates, pass out propaganda, and encourage donations. While this
may be legal, it is not always appropriate. Some owners use elections as a time
to educate staff on how government decisions and voting can affect their
industry. Voting can change the future of their career and impact their lives.
In other cases, an owner may just be pressuring staff to vote for his or her party
based on their own personal ethics. While the former reason can be important to
protect a business and jobs, the latter can be seen by employees as an abuse of
power. Even though both are legal, it is important for employees to respect
those in management in order to maintain a positive working environment.
Consider employees’ positions and feelings before bringing politics into the
office. Is it really the appropriate venue?
Owners hire
employees to do one thing: work. Often, current events create a distraction
from the task at hand. During an election year, there is nothing more popular
than politics. Employees spend a lot of time “around the water cooler”, but it
is important to remember that some topics are not workplace appropriate. Keep
politics away from the office and stay focused on the job. Use personal time to
stump for your party and paid time to do your job.
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