Managing Politics in the Workplace
It’s election season, and here’s the thing about politics: Everyone has an opinion! And that’s a great thing. But from an employer’s perspective, it can be tricky to navigate the issues that arise around political discourse in the workplace. This is particularly true for municipal employers that must be cognizant of public employees’ First Amendment rights, as well as statutes, including Colorado’s recently adopted Protections for Public Workers Act, that prohibit using public resources for political campaigns and discriminating against employees for lawful off-duty activity, including political speech. In addition, managers must be adept at handling human resources issues that arise from politics in the office.
For further reading on these issues, you’ll want to check out this Blog Post by CIRSA’s General Counsel Office, which includes reminders and tips for employers and supervisors on these important topics.