Thank Goodness its Election Day

Election Day is finally here. And, boy, we can’t wait until it’s over!

The ugliness of this year’s presidential campaign has wreaked havoc on many American workplaces, creating tension among co-workers and, in some cases, forcing managers into the role of office referee. Two weeks ago the Wall Street Journal reported the case of a Pro-Trump executive who was insisting that an HR manager fire an employee who was planning to vote for Clinton.

i-votedIt’s safe to say that this campaign season has created a divide in many facets of life and from the work site to social media, political tensions are running high. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that more than half of the HR Professionals surveyed last month said they had observed more hostility among co-workers than in previous election years. The only surprise here is that the results weren’t closer to 100%!

While many of us are holding our breath until it’s over, it is unlikely that the tension surrounding the election will fade quickly. After the results are in, we can expect weeks (or even months!) of heightened tensions and heated debates – regardless of who wins!

How do we deal with it all? Is it possible to plan? Well, one of the many lessons from this election is that there is no fool proof plan to cover all bases. But from an HR perspective, at minimum, we should remind our management teams to avoid political discourse with subordinates and ensure that our harassment policy and harassment complaint procedure are visibly posted. That’s a good start, but it’s not a total solution.

What are your plans? How will you combat the election fallout? We’d love to hear from you. Post your thoughts below.

popdevteamThank Goodness its Election Day