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This election season has given us generous helpings of drama, and the general election itself is only two months away. With the final stretch before the candidates\u2014and us\u2014you\u2019ll no doubt overhear political discussions in the workplace. Maybe even a heated argument or two!<\/p>\n
While a respectful debate over lunch or a brief remark tossed over a cubicle may not merit a response from management, what happens when political arguments at work turn ugly? Raised voices can disrupt operations. Feelings can be hurt. Team cohesion can suffer. Employees with political differences might refuse to get along. There are even potential legal issues: a political debate about a protected class can devolve into a hostile work environment<\/a>. These serious matters don\u2019t have a universal solution. Different employers have different needs and unique cultures<\/a>. Some employers may want to restrict all non-work-related discussions in the workplace. Others may want a more lenient policy and choose to deal with violations when someone crosses the line.<\/p>\n Whatever approach you take, be careful not to give the impression that you\u2019re trying to regulate the political beliefs of your employees. Generally speaking, a private employer can limit political expression in the workplace\u2014as long as they don’t violate Section 7 rights or applicable state laws. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act<\/a> gives employees the right to talk about the terms and conditions of their employment and the right to unionize. While this law protects some political activities, it doesn\u2019t give employees the right to discuss politics that aren\u2019t work-related during work hours or while on their employer\u2019s property.<\/p>\n Some political discussions are work-related, however. For example, you wouldn\u2019t want to try to stop employees from talking about their pay in light of gender pay equality laws or from building support in the workplace for a paid sick leave policy<\/a>. You\u2019d also want to avoid restricting any discussions of unions or unionization.<\/p>\n The trouble with heated political discussions is not that they\u2019re political, but that they\u2019re disruptive and potentially abusive. So if you have no objection to employees occasionally engaging in non-work-related discussions while they\u2019re on duty, then you may want to allow political discussions generally while prohibiting behaviors that are disruptive or abusive. Just make it clear to employees that they\u2019ll be disciplined for not working when they should be, or for disrupting the work of others or for harassing them\u2014not for holding certain political beliefs.<\/p>\n