Beyond the Ballot: Workplace Conduct and Social Media Tips

In this episode of Herbein Conversation, we welcome back Kris Bashore, VP and Practice Lead for Herbein’s HR Consulting practice, to tackle a timely topic: navigating political discussions in the workplace after the 2024 presidential election.

Building on insights from our earlier episode, "Navigating Politics in the Workplace: Best Practices for Leaders and Teams," this conversation dives into strategies for keeping workplace conversations respectful, guidance for managing political posts on personal social media accounts, and reminders that employees are brand ambassadors for their employers. Tune in for actionable tips to maintain a positive and professional workplace culture post-election.

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 I’m joined by a previous guest of the podcast, Kris Bashore, Vice President and Practice Lead for Herbein’s HR Consulting practice. Welcome, Kris!

Kris Bashore: Thanks, Hannah. It's great to be here and I'm really excited to be back to talk about this really important topic.

Hannah Kubik: Yes, I'm quite excited to dive in as well. With the 2024 presidential election results final, there’s a lot of emotion—almost half of the U.S. is pleased, while the other half may feel disappointed. Today, we’re building on some points we covered in a previous episode with Kris, titled “Navigating Politics in the Workplace: Best Practices for Leaders and Teams.” If you haven’t listened to that episode, I highly recommend checking it out for additional strategies on keeping workplace conversations constructive.

Today, we’ll dive into handling post-election reactions in the workplace, especially regarding social media and how employees represent their companies online.
Kris, last time we discussed why it’s helpful for companies to have guidelines around political discussions. Today, let’s build on that with some guidance for handling these conversations now that the election results are in. What’s a good starting point for companies?

Kris Bashore: This is a delicate area. Companies really want to respect individual perspectives, but they also need to protect the work environment. So you as a manager, you as a coworker can help create an environment where political discussions can occur and everyone still feels comfortable.

But it really should revolve around setting a tone of respectful conversations, not having heated topics or conversations get heated. To be able to navigate away from that, so again that people can feel safe and comfortable in the workplace.

Hannah Kubik:  Some great points and it's easy for political discussions to become divisive. So what guidance would you give employees who want to talk about the election but are worried about the workplace dynamics?

Kris Bashore: I would recommend that you keep it light, you keep it positive and very mindful of others feelings you noted earlier, Hannah. Half of the country is pleased with this results. Half of this, the country is probably not pleased with the results.

It's OK to share thoughts respectfully, but again, don't make assumptions. Don't use divisive language and of course people can always redirect these conversations back to the workplace if they're getting too intense or people are getting too heated or you know, it's becoming too personal.

Hannah Kubik: In our last conversation, we touched on social media briefly, but this is worth diving further into today. You know, with employees and as brand ambassadors, companies can be impacted by what their team members post. So Kris, what's your perspective on how employees can balance personal expression with their professional roles?

Kris Bashore: This is a great question and it is again, it's another balance, but employees represent their companies even on personal media accounts. If you identify yourself as an employee of a certain institution organization, your personal and your professional now becomes blended. 

So companies definitely encourage employees to be mindful of what they share because personal opinions can easily be tied back to the organization for just the reason we talked about. It doesn't mean employees can't express their beliefs, but it's wise for them to consider how a post. Might reflect on their employer.

Hannah Kubik: Again, great points and do you have any tips for employees on how to manage this? What are some Do's and Don T's for social media?

Kris Bashore: Yes, I do. I'd say do share positively and thoughtfully. Avoid using inflammatory language. Remember that privacy settings don't always guarantee privacy. A don't would be assuming that what shared won't affect your job or be re shared.

Posts can be forward or screenshoted, and they're often more visible than people realize. So a good rule of thumb, just like we talked about earlier is if you wouldn't say it at work, it's probably best to keep it offline and keep it in just personal convers. With your friends and your family.

Hannah Kubik: That’s a great tip. Being thoughtful on social media isn’t about restricting freedom but about being conscious of the impact. Would you recommend companies have official policies regarding this?

Kris Bashore: This is absolutely essential in my mind. A good social media policy can help set the expectations without being overly restrictive. It's about guiding employees on professional and respectful use of their accounts and reminding them of the role that they play in representing the brand of the organization.

Hannah Kubik: How else can companies create an environment that respects all viewpoints post-election?

Kris Bashore: Encouraging open communication is key. Leaders can set an example by showing empathy and encouraging discussions that center on unity and teamwork rather than division. certainly hosting a training on respect and inclusion can remind everyone that the workplace should be a safe space for all. 

Again, as we talked at the beginning, there are half of the country is is hopeful and looking forward to the change. And half of the country could be really experiencing a true struggle, that they're fearful. They may be more disengaged. They may be less motivated at work, and so if you're sensing some of those things from one of your coworkers or one of your employees, please reach out and talk to them.

Just ask them how they're doing. Are they doing OK? Remind them that there's EAP services if they are struggling in any way may be related to the election. May not be. It's always a good point to check in with our employees, but there really could be that happening right now with the uncertainty for some folks around the election.

Hannah Kubik: That’s great advice, Kris. When emotions run high after events like elections, it’s important to remind ourselves of our common goals and values at work.
And with that, we’re going to wrap today’s episode. Thank you, Kris, for joining us and sharing these valuable insights. For those who want more guidance on how to foster a respectful workplace environment, remember to check out our previous episode with Kris, “Navigating Politics in the Workplace,” located on our website at herbein.com/the-herbein-conversation. 

Kris Bashore: Thank you, Hannah. It was a pleasure to be here again. It's a really timely topic and I know that there's folks really trying to figure this out professionally and also, you know, personally for themselves.

Hannah Kubik: To all our listeners, thanks for tuning in to another episode of Herbein Conversation. Until next time, stay informed, stay respectful, and keep building a positive workplace. Thanks for listening!