In a polarized nation, election cycles can conjure all sorts of conflict and tension between colleagues. While workers might not stump for their preferred candidates in the office, they do, on occasion, reveal their political leanings to colleagues, often without being asked: Earlier this year, an HR professional recalled to HR Brew an incident during the 2012 presidential election, in which an employee adorned his desk with Barack Obama-themed toilet paper. Their colleagues found the act inflammatory, and HR had to intervene.

Following the 2022 midterms, HR pros may have had to reprise the familiar role of political mediator as issues such as abortion, immigration, and the economy seized headlines, and perhaps some of the chatter in Slack.

Navigating political speech at work can be tricky, experts told HR Brew, as HR needs to toe the line between granting employees freedom and preventing potential damage wrought by rhetorical mudslinging. There are also legal issues at play, Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and director of HR for professional employer organization Engage PEO, explained to HR Brew. “It becomes very complicated if you’re talking about something that could be [considered] a working condition,” she said.

To avoid having the office descend into a chaotic town hall meeting, sources advised creating highly deliberate and structured avenues for employees to share their feelings—within limits. As younger workers are increasingly inclined to work for employers that espouse similar political convictions, enforcing an apolitical environment might do more harm than good, Roxanne Petraeus, the CEO of Ethena, a compliance training platform, told HR Brew.

“It can negatively impact a lot of employees, many of whom have historically been excluded from the C-suite,” Patraeus explained via email.

Make the rules. Establishing boundaries for political speech in the workplace is within the purview of employers, Matsis-McCready explained.

There are caveats that complicate expressly banning anything deemed “political.” Keep reading here.—SB

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Stephanie Standish wears many hats at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), where she spearheads the organization’s admin, accounting, IT, and HR functions. HR is particularly near and dear to her because it has been a department of one for more than seven years. Though Standish fell into HR when her predecessor retired, her diverse professional background has made her uniquely qualified to tackle the complex role.

How would you describe your specific job to someone who doesn’t work in HR?

In the trade association world, I would describe it as a “Jill of all trades, master of none” situation. I own the HR portfolio as a department of one, but I also oversee operations, IT, and accounting—all the infrastructure necessary to run a successful business.

Do you feel like you were thrown into your HR role? Did you have mentors?

I would say it was definitely a trial by fire. One thing that I think…made me successful is that I’m a good project manager. If I was not a good project manager, I don’t think I would have been able to navigate all of the different responsibilities that come with the role. I did have six months of a mentor…shadow[ing] the lady who was retiring.

What’s the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked? Keep reading here.

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Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The Department of Labor lost 22% of its investigative staff between 2015 and 2020, leaving fewer than one investigator for every 12,000 employee benefit plans. (MarketWatch)

Quote: “The Covid free pass is running out.”—Chantel Rowe, VP of product management at Topia, on HR’s waning tolerance for employees secretly working abroad (Fortune)

Read: What’s a job lottery, and is it a crazy way to approach hiring? (Psychology Today)

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