How a Hot Presidential Race Can Increase Your Risk Profile

There’s never a dull moment in the life of an HR or corporate legal professional.  Just when you survived landmines for bad behavior at the holiday party and Valentine’s Day shenanigans, there is a new and hazardous workplace situation brewing – the 2008 presidential election.

The contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is one of the most talked about elections in years.  And as the first female and first African American candidates engage in a highly televised debate season, the number of debates among coworkers is on the rise as well.  And in a lot of cases, these discussions can center on topics not appropriate for the workplace, including ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and even morality.

And while it’s exciting to see our nation so engaged in the race for our next president, the current frenzy can also create challenges for organizations when it comes to maintaining a discrimination-free workplace.  The very topics of the debates – healthcare, abortion, the environment, economics, immigration, and the war on terror, are ones that people are passionate about, and may cause resentment and tense working relationships among employees.

The increased media coverage is not helping.  Employees are inundated 24/7 with election news on television, radio, newspapers, email, and blog postings.  And because so many employees have the misconception that what’s on television is fair workplace conversation, training employees on what your organization deems appropriate is more important than ever.

Consider an instance where you have two coworkers who interface on a regular basis.  Coworker A is vigorously opposed to the war, but coworker B has a child or relative in the military, stationed in Iraq.  Discussions on the war could prove disastrous, and in the end, cost your organization significantly in terms of lowered productivity, as well as the time and resources needed to resolve the issues.  If other employees become involved creating a workplace schism, the lost productivity, overall costs, and decreased morale just multiply exponentially.

Even discussions on policy can create huge problems for employers.  Take for example the recent Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 which will provide refunds for individuals earning under $75,000, or couples earning under $150,000 jointly.  As employees discuss this topic and inevitably mention whether or not they will receive a return, what they are also doing is revealing to their colleagues their general salary range and those of their spouse.  If an employee learns a coworker is making significantly more money, the disclosure could create problems and resentment, especially if those conversations then continue among other coworkers.

So how can you prevent inappropriate and potentially explosive political discussions in your workplace?

1. On election day, communicate to all employees that while your organization encourages them to exercise their right to vote, discussions about political preferences or issues may not be suitable in the workplace.
2. Monitor your workplace for political campaign ads, advertisements or other literature, and remind employees that certain printed materials may not be appropriate.
3. If you overhear heated discussions in the workplace, address them early.  Make sure your managers are also paying attention to what is going on in their individual departments.
4. Continue to train employees on the importance of maintaining a tolerant workplace and continue to communicate your policies for what your organization considers appropriate workplace discussions.  Training has been and will always be your best defense for preventing problems before they happen.

So the good news is that we have survived 55 past presidential elections.  And while the 2008 election may be the most watched and debated in years, having a sound policy and training program around diversity and discrimination will prove your best defense against problems.

See you in 2012!