As the fissures dividing American society grow ever deeper and more calcified, the workplace remains one of the few places in American society where people from across the social and political spectrum continue to interact.
To ensure that the workplace does not devolve into a shouting match that parallels the volume and vitriol of talking heads on cable news and social media, employers should proactively implement protocols that mesh with the employer’s core values. These protocols provide the best safeguards for ensuring the workplace remains respectful, inclusive and committed to the success of the business.
Below we provide three practical tips that employers can implement in order to maintain a connected workplace.
Update/implement policies to establish and reinforce behavioral expectations
Policies are an effective way to ensure that employees understand workplace expectations. To minimize polarization in the office, employers may decide to put in place updated policies that:
- Set limits around discussion of hot button social issues in the workplace
- Restrict provocative clothing, pins, stickers that touch on divisive social issues
- Create guidelines for social media posts that violate company policies, or contravene core company values, such as by promoting violence
These policies should reinforce the need for employees to abide by company policies, including those prohibiting harassment and discrimination.
Social media policies should make clear that even personal posts can impact the workplace. For example, employees may be linked to co-workers on social media, or the employee may be identifiable as working for the employer.
In implementing its policies, employers should work with legal counsel to ensure their policy does not run afoul of the National Labor Relations Act, or state laws dealing with political speech or off-duty conduct.
Putting in place strong policies is only effective if the policies are enforced in a consistent manner that holds employees accountable and distributes like discipline for like conduct. Consistent enforcement of policies is also important in order to mitigate litigation risk.
Practice what you preach
In striving to reinforce a respectful workplace, it is important that leaders model respect. For instance, leaders can reinforce respect by treating others with appreciation, using good listening skills, and providing real-time feedback. Leaders can also model appropriate use of social media platforms.
In addition, to minimize the company wading into polarizing topics, leadership may decide that the company is going to comment much less both internally and externally on social/political events. Some employers have made the decision that they will only speak out on these topics to the extent they directly impact the employer’s business. A benefit of this approach is that it reduces employees’ expectation that the employer is going to take a position on every issue in the news cycle.
Support employee wellbeing and mental health
Employers can also foster a culture of respect by being sensitive to the mental toll that the current societal polarization and anger have inflicted on employees. The external baggage employees carry due to societal rancor undoubtedly heightens employees’ feelings of stress, burnout, anxiety and depression.
Employers should make a point of checking in with employees. For instance, it can go a long way for a manager to reach out to an employee and say: “I’ve been following the news and can only imagine how it might be impacting you. I just want you to know that I’m thinking about you.” Note, the manager is not taking a position on a divisive social issue or making assumptions about any particular employee’s beliefs. Rather, the manager is simply letting the employee feel seen and cared for.
Employers should also continue to regularly send out information on the company EAP program and other mental health offerings.
Conclusion
While it might feel like the age of civility has passed, employers have the power to build and sustain respectful and productive workplace cultures, by implementing and enforcing sensible rules, modeling a respectful culture, and making the effort to foster a culture of empathy.
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