Political, Religious, and Social Issue Discussions in the Workplace

HR / Workplace

By: Kim Adamson

In these times of global turmoil, war, social injustices, climate change, and political polarization, companies are responsible for fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace culture where employees feel psychologically and physically safe, valued, and engaged. This does not mean companies should ban or censor discussions about politics, religion, and other social crisis issues, as these topics are often related to employees’ personal identities, values, and beliefs. Many employees in the U.S. have stated they discuss these issues with their colleagues at the workplace regularly. However, employees often do not share the same opinions about their political, religious, or social issues, and discussions become emotionally charged. Managing these tense workplace conversations can be challenging. Rather than focusing on how to restrict employee communications and discussions, companies and HR professionals should communicate their expectations for respectful and professional workplace communications and provide guidelines and resources for employees to engage in constructive and civil conversations.

According to an online survey conducted by Glassdoor in October 2023, three in five, or 61%, have discussed politics at work with coworkers sometime in the past 12 months. Among Baby Boomers, 63% of men and 51% of women have discussed politics with colleagues at work. It is slightly higher for younger workers—for Gen X, 68% of men and 48% of women have done so, and for Millennials and Gen Z, 67% of men and 58% of women had political discussions at work.

In another study regarding “Socio-Politics in the U.S. Workplace” by HiBob, a leading HR technology disruptor, the results indicated that 61% of employees and managers believe socio-political discussions should be kept out of the office because they can negatively affect company culture, while 66% agreed such discussions should be avoided in company communication channels like Teams and Slack.  In comparison, 19% believe such discussions can be conducted in the workplace. Forty-eight percent of respondents feel respectful socio-political discussions should be encouraged at the workplace to support an inclusive and diverse company culture. Also, 81% feel socio-political topics should be discussed in a safe space that allows opposing opinions to be respectfully shared with colleagues.

Steps that companies can take to communicate their expectations and protect their cultures are:

  • Establish clear and consistent workplace communication and behavior policies that outline the company’s core values, mission, and goals. The policy should encourage civility and respectful speech and behavior at work and allow employees to engage in respectful conversations regarding differing opinions about political, religious, and other social issues, and that differences in such views promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging practices. Remind employees, managers, and leaders of the company’s equal employment, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment policies when discussing sensitive topics, and make clear that any speech violating these policies will not be tolerated. The policy should encourage employees to report any incidents of harassment, discrimination, or intimidation due to these discussions. Employers must enforce policies uniformly, regardless of an employee’s role or political point of view.
  • Determine which federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply and ensure policies are updated regularly as changes occur.
    • The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) applies to union and non-union employees. Section 7 guarantees employees the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, as well as the right to refrain from any or all such activities.  Section 8(a)(1) makes it an unfair labor practice for an employer to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the act. (Note:  In light of the recent Stericycle decision, companies should discuss with legal counsel to ensure specific policies meet a specific business purpose.) 
    • The First Amendment protects government employees when they are speaking as private citizens. Private employers may regulate political communications like other forms of workplace communication. Often, employees mistakenly assume they have an unlimited right to free speech under the First Amendment.
    • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act states employers may not retaliate against employees who exercise political speech to report discrimination or harassment under these laws.
    • Some states, such as Colorado, California, Louisiana, New York, and North Dakota, prohibit employers from firing or retaliating against employees for off-duty lawful activity, including speech.   
  • Provide training and coaching for employees and managers on civility in the workplace to enhance their skills and competencies in respectful conversations and emotional intelligence, such as active listening, compassion, empathy, curiosity, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. The training and coaching should address challenges and scenarios that may arise when discussing politics, war, and religion and offer practical tips and strategies for handling differing views and strong emotions. Employees should know what are considered acceptable and unacceptable posts or comments. All staff should also be coached about the difference between disagreements and harassment or discrimination. The training and coaching should be delivered by qualified and impartial staff or experts and tailored to the company’s and employees’ needs during times of struggle.
  • The company should create and support opportunities and platforms for employees to engage in respectful discussions about politics, religion, and other social issues, such as town hall meetings, roundtable discussions, and online forums. Companies with employee resource groups (ERGs) are also a good platform for fostering diverse and inclusive workplace communication. These opportunities and platforms should be voluntary and not mandatory and be facilitated by staff or managers who understand the company’s policies and are trained in communication techniques that foster candid conversation and encourage respectful communication and behavior. The company should also provide feedback and recognition for employees who participate in these discussions and solicit their input and suggestions for improvement. 
  • The company’s leaders and managers should model and promote respectful and mutual respect in their communication and behavior and set an example for their employees. They should also encourage and support their employees to engage in respectful and mutual communication and behavior and provide them with the necessary resources and guidance. They should also monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of these types of communication and behavior and address any issues or concerns that may arise.

When approaching conversations in the office about politics, religion, or other social issues, employees, managers, and leaders need to understand there is no right or wrong when it comes to opinions and that it is all right to disagree respectfully and professionally. The point of such discussions is not to win or to sway others to believe what they believe. The goal is to listen empathetically, learn from each other, and respect each other’s opinions and differences. It is also important to acknowledge when a discussion is no longer productive and when to pause or cease discussions to prevent them from becoming toxic. Recognizing a professional and respectful culture is successful for the company, employees, and customers.

Prohibiting all political conversations from the workplace is impossible, but following these steps can help maintain a respectful and professional work environment.

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