Webinar: #18
Start Time: August 27, 2020 11:20 AM
Rachel Comella’s HR career spans 20 plus years with experience in many corporate entities. Rachel holds a Master’s Certification in Employment Law from George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Speaking from the University of South Florida. She has been a member of SHRM and HR Tampa since 2001.
Certipay has been her home base for the last 5 years where she has provided high level HR consulting to C-Suite, Executive and Senior level managers across the country. She has also developed a training and live webinar program for employees, clients, and leaders in order to increase knowledge on HR topics and COVID-19.
In this HR Coffee Break we tackle politics in the workplace! Learn more about common misconceptions and best practices.
MISCONCEPTION 1: EMPLOYEES HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO TALK “POLITICS” AT WORK
- 1st Amendment does not guarantee “Free Speech” at work.
- 1st Amendment applies to government action.
- It does not limit employers right to limit communication
- It does not provide constitutional right for employees to express opinions
- “Political views” are not a protected class
MISCONCEPTION 2: EMPLOYEES HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DISPLAY AND DISTRIBUTE POLITICAL MATERIALS AT WORK
- Employers have the right to adopt and enforce rules prohibiting non-work-related activity
- Employers may ban employees from displaying/distributing materials that are purely political in nature.
- Employers may ban computer and email use for purely political communications
- Employers may ban the display of buttons, shirts, hats , etc. with purely political messages or logos.
- Employees may be lawfully disciplined and or terminated for violating the employers published policies
5 STEPS TO BEST PRACTICES:
- Prepare and Implement a strong “No Political Activity or Solicitation” Policy
- Comply with NLRB and State rules
- Be prepared to address disruptive behavior. Be prompt. Be consistent.
- Discourage Supervisors, Directors, Managers from ALL Political discussions.
- Remind employees of relevant policies
