Managing Office Politics: Avoiding Discord In The Workplace

It seems like we live in a tinderbox. The combination of the upcoming presidential election, emerging debates about social justice issues, and the ongoing pandemic seems to have created the perfect storm. When filtered into a diverse workplace, passionate opposing political viewpoints can harm productivity and morale and even create liability issues. Sometimes, for instance, political discussions can morph into something that creates a hostile work environment for a member of a protected class.

Keep in mind the First Amendment right to "free speech" doesn't prevent private employers from restricting speech. Let's discuss what private employers can and should do to regulate political communications.