Avoiding a Partisan Disaster in the Workplace This Election Season

If you’re a seasoned professional, you may be familiar with the tensions election season can cause in the workplace — especially for small teams. Even worse than dividing a staff, strong partisan sentiments can even spill out into interactions with clients, leaving them feeling uncomfortable and less likely to refer you to others. Here, some tips to survive election season for small businesses.

Ban It

Requesting a ban on all political discussion in the workplace altogether is one way to avoid heated arguments. Explain briefly that the ban is intended to keep things productive and positive, and was created to avoid the same conversations many of your employees are probably already having outside of work. Establish the office as a neutral territory for the coming months, and request that partisan posters, pins, etc. not be brought into the workplace. Provide the contact info for an appropriate HR person or supervisor employees can contact with any questions.

Don’t Ban It

On the other hand, some HR professionals argue that encouraging healthy, polite debate among employees can actually bring a team closer together, and serves as an organic exercise that allows them to work through differences. If you’re going to go this route, make sure to have a brief meeting to lay down some basic etiquette for political discussion. Make sure you have at least one HR member or supervisor on hand that employees can speak to in total confidentiality about any inappropriate remarks or over-zealous arguments.

Be Prepared for When Customers or Clients Comment

Make sure all employees have a contingency plan in case they are put in a position where a client or customer makes an explicitly partisan comment. In general, ask them to be responsive but polite, regardless of their leanings. Make it clear that arguing with customers or clients about politics is inappropriate and potentially grounds for disciplinary action. It’s important to announce these rules in advance and to enforce them equally so that employees don’t feel like they are being singled out because of their party affiliations.

Understand and Publicize “Time Off” Policies for Voting

The majority of states require employers to give employees time off to vote–sometimes, even paid time off. Bone up on your state’s policy here, and share a clear policy with employees, along with the address of the nearest polling station. You may also request that employees let you know in advance if they plan to take time off to vote. Try to work with other employees to make sure you have solid coverage for any essential functions at the office come election day.

Some HR topics, like politics, are tricky. Others don’t have to be. Time tracking solutions fall into that latter category. Contact our office at 1-800-921-4270 orinfo@fingertecusa.com to learn more about time tracking and security solutions for businesses of all sizes.