The election process in the United States is a long and grueling one. It also gets nasty, and even though both the winner and the loser ultimately call for unity, it can be difficult to let go of the intense feelings of animosity that accompany every election cycle.
This year's presidential election was out of the ordinary for a number of reasons and it has resulted in the shift of power from one party to the other. After such an election, people who have decided to exercise their voting right feel somewhat more passionate and it can cause quite a strain in the workplace.
Know the law
Most people believe that the First Amendment ensures that talk about politics and various political advocating practices cannot be curtailed at the workplace. In reality, however, the First Amendment states that the government cannot restrict free speech. Your business is not a government organization and you have the right to put in place certain policies that will limit the amount of politics talk that goes on in the office.
That being said, because of the National Labor Relations Act, its Section 7 to be more precise, your non-supervisory employees have the right to talk about and could even be allowed to advocate, a certain political position openly, under the condition that this advocacy is related to issues that might affect their workplace, such as minimal wages or even immigration reform (both burning issues during the 2016 election).
The good thing is that the election is already over and that you do not have to worry about this. Still, there is always post-election friction, which could be even more pronounced this year due to the highly controversial nature of the election.
Take stock of the company
When it comes to talking politics in the office and the potential for politics-induced arguments, the makeup of the actual office can have a huge impact. This year, this is probably more important than before, due to the unprecedented divisiveness of the rhetoric preceding the election. Even though it has been downplayed ever since the results were made public, the demographics of the office will have a huge influence on how explosive the situation will be.
For example, in a company where the demographic situation is more homogenous, i.e. conservative, white, middle-aged protestant, there will be less potential for heated arguments. Conversely, in a company where employees come from a wide variety of cultural, ethnic and even age groups, things are more likely to get ugly, so to say.
Of course, this does not mean that even the seemingly most homogenous office cannot erupt in rage over the election results.
Understand the burning issues
During and following the election process, there will usually be a number of burning issues that both decide the outcome of the election and the conversations/arguments that accompany it. During this election, the number of these has ballooned more than usually – including some truly heavy subjects such as race, gender, religion, climate change and immigration. As if these important topics were not enough, we are also being treated to the matters of the electoral college, voter turnout questions and many more.
All and any of these could become a focal point of an office-wide argument that can easily result in people's feelings being hurt, egos being bruised and, worst case scenario, certain employees being openly abusive and discriminant of their coworkers.
Proper action
Probably the best way to approach post-election talk in the workplace is to limit it as much as humanly possible. You should be aware of the fact that even though you might have policies in place that put certain restrictions on talks about politics, there is still a big chance that your employees will talk about the election outcome and everything this entails regardless of this fact.
If you should decide to enforce your policy strictly, you need to do this with equal fervor no matter the offending employees' political orientation. Neutrality is the name of the game when it comes to politics in the workplace.
The most important thing, however, is to ensure that no one is being harassed or discriminated against. Abusive language and actions need to be nipped in the bud and the offending party needs to be reprimanded swiftly and properly. Considering the nature of this past election, you should be extra careful if you employ Muslim people or people of Middle Eastern heritage.
Another thing to keep in mind is that your employees might share their political views outside the workplace and if they should do so, they should never do this using company social media accounts or emails. You cannot and should not meddle in their private lives, but they need to understand that the company cannot be associated with any private political opinions, even indirectly.
Closing word
The good news for employers and HR professionals is that the post-election talks die out as the year nears its end and it will happen this year as well. It may take a bit more time this year, but people will get back to their routine sooner or later.
In the meantime, know your law, predict trouble and do what you think is best for your company.