Dive Brief:
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With fiery speeches marking the past week, the Hillary Clinton v. Donald Trump election is moving into high gear – both directly between the two candidates and also across America. The nation's workplaces are hardly immune from heated political discussions.
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According to a new survey from SHRM that polled 457 HR professionals last month, the good news is things have remained relatively calm so far.
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The SHRM poll found that only about a quarter (26%) of HR pros reported "tension, hostility or arguments" among employees, and about two-thirds (70%) said status quo (cooler heads) ruled.
Dive Insight:
SHRM's poll investigated the types of policies employers may be putting in place relative to workplace political activities – especially with the fireworks projected to happen between now and November. The survey also looked at whether organizations encouraged their employees to vote in political elections and whether employees were given time off to vote.
Main results found that 72% of HR professionals indicated their organizations discouraged political activities in the workplace, while 24% had a written (i.e., formal) policy on political activities, and 8% had an unwritten (i.e., informal) policy. Finally, 86% of survey participants said employees were allowed to take either paid (53%) or unpaid (33%) time off to vote.
Edward Yost, SHRM's resident employee relations expert, told CBS that the smartest path is keeping political opinions private. "The workplace isn't the best place for a lively debate of principles and personal beliefs," Yost told CBS. "A good rule of thumb is to avoid those topics that generate the most arguments when you are with family and friends."
