Last week, employees made their way to the polls by the millions to cast a vote in the 2012 general election. The results are in, but talk of the election and what the next four years will bring is only beginning. You probably have had or heard these conversations at home or with friends, on your commutes to work and also in your workplaces. So, should an employer be concerned about “election talk” in the workplace? When should an employer draw a line in the sand and put the kibosh on such talk? And, how can an employer best protect itself from related legal exposure?

Election talk in the workplace

Some election-related talk is bound to take place among employee ranks. For management, the challenge is twofold:

  1. Be aware of what is said
  2. React promptly and appropriately when employee talk crosses the line into problematic territory

While election talk may be civil and innocuous, given the hot-button political issues this election season, it is easy to see such talk spiraling into commentary that may be perceived as inappropriate, discriminatory and/or harassing based on protected categories, such as race, religion, gender and/or sexual orientation.