Talking Politics In The Workplace

Brian Finucane, the managing partner of the Kansas City office, was interviewed on KCUR, Kansas City Public Radio, about political discussions in the workplace. Brian said that the First Amendment right of free speech does not include the private-sector workplace. Private employers have the right to prohibit what their employees can or cannot say while on the job. Rather than restrict what employees can discuss at work, Brian advises clients to "adopt a rule that says people have to conduct themselves in a professional, respectful manner at all times in the workplace and hold people to that expectation. If someone talks about politics in a way that is disrespectful, disruptive or inappropriate, then address that on an individual basis." He added that he has seldom seen a case where an employer was forced to terminate someone because of behavior that resulted from a political discussion.