Snapshot Survey Results | Social and Political Issues in the Workplace
In the October 2022 Snapshot Survey, we asked contractors about their policies regarding employees discussing social and political issues at work. Here’s one survey question and its results from the “Social and Political Issues in the Workplace” summary report, which will be available in its entirety to EGIA members on 11/28/22.
What are your company’s policies toward employees expressing their social and political views at work?
No matter the industry, it is important that employers are prepared to respond to conflicts that arise from and between their employees. While some companies do so by creating policies to act upon, some conflicts are harder to regulate, such as heated discussions about social or political events in the workplace.
In our survey, 40% of contractors shared that their employees are free to openly discuss social and political views as long as it doesn’t impact productivity, while 42% noted that they do not have a policy in place to regulate how employees can express their views on social and political topics at work. While employees have a right to free speech, it is important for managers and employers to monitor situations so that the office environment maintains a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
Here’s what an HVAC contractor from Florida said in the survey:
“We do not have a specific policy regarding employees discussing their social and political opinions at work as long as it does not affect their job performance. We encourage people to be themselves and have no problem with them voicing their opinions as long as it does not create a conflict in our business.”
