Talking Politics in the Workplace

As the November election approaches, the discussion of politics in the workplace can cause tempers to flair. Kansas City Managing Partner Brian Finucane was interviewed on September 13 on WDAF-TV about political discussions in the workplace. "It's America," he said. "we all love our freedom of speech. We have to understand that freedom of speech does not transfer into the workplace." He noted that it is up to the employer to decide how much political talk will be permitted in the workplace. Brian advised employees who work at a company that allows political discussions to use common sense and keep those discussions respectful. He also cautioned employers not to ignore troublemakers or those acting in a disrespectful manner to coworkers and to ensure that employees are working in a professional work environment at all times. Brian stressed that these rules should apply to everything that happens in the workplace, not only during election season.