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Hot topic
Workplaces are becoming increasingly politicised,
complained that they were retaliated against for raising
with research from Jobsite finding that 46% of
employees have noticed an increase in political
discussion among colleagues. In an attempt to avoid
‘disruptive’ conversations Google recently announced it
is cracking down on political chat in the office. So is this
essential to keeping the peace? Or is it unfair and
unrealistic to expect people to avoid such discussions?
David D’Souza,
membership director,
CIPD
The challenge that faces
modern organisations is
that political developments
have led to a shift in the Overton Window
(the range of ideas that are considered
acceptable for discourse) to encompass
more emotive and provocative topics.
These are often divisive and organisations
tend to (understandably) seek cohesion
rather than polarisation.
It’s probably unfair, unrealistic and
counterproductive to ban certain
conversations altogether. Arguably
MeToo and TimesUp are sensitive areas,
but they show that people having a voice
on uncomfortable subjects can lead
to positive change.
However, it is reasonable to ask people
to be understanding, empathetic and
avoid causing offence – and to require
adults to be adults and respect boundaries.
Work isn’t a debate club and it has always
been reasonable for employers to expect
some boundaries to discussion; it just
seems we have entered a new era of
provocative conversations.
Richard Fox, senior
partner and head of
employment practice,
Kingsley Napley
In the current febrile
political environment
people are increasingly becoming engaged,
even consumed, by the Brexit debate.
From a legal perspective this is quite
a complicated area. The Equality Act
2010 does not expressly prohibit
discrimination on the basis of political
Federal regulators have ordered Google to assure
employees they are al lowed to speak out on political and
workplace issues … Though Google executives have
long bragged about having a workplace culture
designed to encourage open debate, current and
former employees across the political spectrum have
concerns about equality and freedom of speech
Your workplace should be the last place for a
heated political debate with your co-workers.
“’You’re going to alienate people that you have
to work w ith,” said Jeff Zinser, owner of
employment agency R ight Recruiting in Blue
Bell, Pennsylvania. “That’s a serious danger”
belief – only on strictly religious
or philosophical belief.
In 2007 an employment tribunal had to
consider a case involving a claimant’s
belief in republicanism. It decided that
such a belief was ‘philosophical’.
Conceptually the employee was entitled to
protection from discrimination on that
basis (although she did not succeed in her
claim in the end).
Given that Brexit is on everyone’s minds
employers should be careful. Disparaging
remarks about those who hold one
opinion may make those of that
persuasion feel uneasy. If the employees
affected suffer detriment or are ultimately
dismissed this could be an issue that winds
up in an employment tribunal.
Alan Price, HR
director, Peninsula
There is an old adage that
individuals should avoid
discussing money, religion
or politics because of the
sensitive nature of these topics. Employers
keen on keeping a harmonious working
environment are likely to agree with this.
However, in the current political climate
it has become increasingly difficult for
employers to prevent political discussions
at work.
While an outright ban on political
discussion may be hard to enforce,
employers should encourage staff to think
before they speak to maintain a respectful
and civilised working environment. It
may be wise to educate employees on
the impact their comments can have
on other individuals during company
inductions, in order to avoid any
politically-charged confrontations.
The Wall Street Journal, 12 September
CNBC, 12 September
Employers should also remember that
they have a professional public image to
maintain and allowing staff to openly
discuss political matters in front of
customers or other third parties may dent
any attempts to appear politically neutral.
While some organisations may opt to nail
their colours to the mast in terms of their
political support, a neutral approach is
likely to be more successful in maintaining
any pre-existing client base and ensuring
continued profitability.
Alexandra Sydney,
group marketing
director, Jobsite
We’ve all heard ‘don’t talk
religion or politics in the
office’, but given the current
pace of global politics this is often easier
said than done. Employees have a right to
free speech and their own opinions about
political and social events. The exception
is where hateful language or beliefs take
the place of everyday debate.
Ultimately it’s in employers’ interests
to cultivate a workforce of diverse
backgrounds and viewpoints, but also an
environment where all employees feel they
can express themselves. With that comes a
responsibility to prevent debates from
getting out of hand.
It’s not unreasonable for a manager
to intervene and de-escalate conversations
that see colleagues distracted from
work or that have the potential to
affect operations. By maintaining an
open-minded and accessible environment
companies can ensure they’re better
equipped to attract candidates from the
widest possible pool of talent. HR
8 HR October 2019 hrmagazine.co.uk
/hrmagazine.co.uk