Navigating Politics in the Workplace: Best Practices for Leaders and Teams

In this timely episode of the Herbein Conversation podcast, we're joined by Kris Bashore, Vice President and Practice Lead for Herbein’s HR Consulting practice, to explore how to handle politics in the workplace. With an upcoming election on the horizon, Kris shares essential best practices for leaders and teams to maintain a respectful and inclusive environment. From guidelines on political clothing and discussions to managing heated conversations, this episode provides actionable insights to help your workplace remain a safe space for all employees.

Transcript

Hannah Kubik: Hello and welcome to an episode of the Herbein Conversation Podcast, where we dive into some of the most pressing issues in the modern workplace.

I'm your host, Hannah Kubik, and today we're tackling a topic that has the potential to either unify or divide. I'm talking politics in the workplace.

In an increasingly polarized world, how do we navigate political discussions and paraphernalia at work? Should we allow them, prohibit them, or find some middle ground? To discuss this pressing matter with us is Kris Bashore, Vice President and Practice Lead for Herbein’s HR consulting practice. Kris, thank you so much for joining us today.

Kris Bashore: Absolutely, Hannah. Thank you for hosting.

Hannah: Kris, let's start with the first question on everyone's mind.
As a business owner, could you or should you, prohibit all political clothing, signage, and paraphernalia at work?

Kris: So, the short answer is yes, you certainly can and probably you should in most situations. It really depends on your company's policies. A lot of organizations already have dress codes and many, many organizations have office guidelines about what should be displayed in your office, and that can extend into political clothing and items. 

It's not just what happens in our physical office anymore because so many of us are virtual now. It's also in our home offices. It's what can be seen when we are on a virtual call and again if there is something there that could violate an office or a dress code policy, those things would apply as well because the goal here is to maintain a professional, distraction free environment.

Hannah: Makes sense. And now moving on to the second big question, could you ban all political discussions at work? My guess is probably, but the real question is, should you?

Kris:  Yeah, so let's break it down. While you could theoretically ban political discussions, it's generally not advisable to do so. Instead, here's some key points to keep in mind.

First, if you're a leader, you really need to think carefully about how and when you express your political views. A recent survey by HiBob, which is an HRIS provider, revealed some eye-opening statistics. 40% of workers said that they would leave or consider leaving a company based on that company having an opposing political stance. And 44% said they might turn down a job offer for the same reason.

But it's not that black and white. 58% of workers feel that respectful, differing political views are fine in the workplace, so it shows that there's room for an open dialogue, but it has to be approached with care and with respect.

Hannah: So, I'm wondering if political discussions are happening in your workplace, or in our workplace, what are some of the best practices to keep them respectful and constructive?

Kris: Again, a great question and we're going to talk about five steps or five best practices to keep in mind. So, the first is the one that we just touched on before, which is if you're a leader, your words carry more weight. It's one thing as a leader to be having a conversation or to be involved in a conversation versus two coworkers having a casual conversation.

When you, as a leader share your view, it really starts to almost speak on behalf of the organization. And so, if you're going to do it, you have to really think about being very positive as you talk about what you believe in or what you support. Avoid bad mouthing the quote unquote other side because it's not just about being respectful. It's about setting a tone that fosters a healthy work environment and a respectful work environment and an inclusive work environment.

Secondly, listen before you speak. If you choose to engage in a political conversation, really would emphasize that you have to come into it really wanting to truly listen to the other person's point of view. Active listening can prevent misunderstandings and show that you respect diverse opinions. Again, showing that you can have an inclusive and differing workplace, and that that's a positive thing.

#3 be very mindful of your language. Everyone should still clear of phrases that could be perceived as discriminatory. For example, comments about a candidate being too old or too religious, or any other characteristic that could touch on a protected class like ethnicity, age, sexual identity, things like that.

The fourth thing to think about is aligning with your company's values. If your company champions causes like sustainability or climate protection, leaders should be clear and forthright about those values. And that's perfectly OK because the company has a stance around those. And so, for a leader to be transparent and consistent is really walking the talk.

Then #5 if these discussions get heated at all in the workplace, it's certainly the responsibility of a leader who's in that group to manage that. So really what happens is they need to step in if something gets heated or disrespectful or people are clearly not listening to each other any longer, then it is up to the leader in the room to step in, change the topic, and refocus on business at hand. Because again, it is a positive thing to have discussions that have conflicting or have differences of opinion as long as that's managed in a really respectful way. It's actually one of the things we like in the workplace is that people have different opinions, and they bring those experiences and those points of view into the conversation as long as it's done respectfully.

Hannah: You made so many great points there and it sounds like a key takeaway from that is work should always be a place where employees feel safe, valued and respected.

Kris: Absolutely. You know that's the most positive workplace we can create where people feel those three things. And so, politics can be a sensitive subject, but with the right approach, it doesn't have to be divisive. As long as we've established clear guidelines and we're fostering an environment of respect and open mindedness, we can ensure that the workplace remains a positive and inclusive space for everyone.

And speaking of the workplace, I'd like to mention a blog that we have available that goes into a little bit more detail than what we did today, and it's titled, “Agree to Disagree: Handling Politics and Disputes in the Workplace”, which really does complement the things we've talked about and provide some additional insight.

Hannah: Fantastic. I do encourage our listeners to go check out that blog and read it if you haven't already. Thank you again, so much for joining us today, Kris. With the upcoming election in November, this is such a timely topic and the more we know, the better we can be and the better our workplace can be.

Kris: I couldn't agree more. Thank you for having me, Hannah.

Hannah: Well, that's all folks and thank you so much again for tuning into today's episode. A friendly reminder to our listeners to visit our website at herbein.com/blog to receive instant alerts when thought leadership like today's episode and blogs get posted.

Again, thank you for tuning in to another episode of Herbein Conversation. Until next time!