Office Politics: Preventing Disruptive Political Discourse

Recently, a Pennsylvania YMCA stopped showing cable news shows on the TVs in its gym because they were prompting political squabbles among its members. When filtered into the diverse workplace, passionate opposing political viewpoints can harm productivity and morale and even create liability issues for employers. Sometimes political discussions can morph into something that creates a hostile work environment for a member of a protected class.

Keep in mind that the First Amendment right to "free speech" under the U.S. Constitution doesn't prevent private-sector employers from restricting employees' speech. Let's take a look at what private-sector employers can and should do to regulate political communications.