Canadian HR Reporter - Ontario

Is Canada becoming more politically polarized? Has divisiveness crept into your workplace? With several recent elections still making waves, more provincial and federal elections on the horizon, and with the tone of discussions corroding, the risk of politics disrupting your organization is growing. For many, politics is never far from business. A year of NAFTA negotiations, TransMountain Pipeline wrangling, and Brexit are just three examples of highly politicized topics that could have broad ranging effects on many Canadian companies. But while these topics have each become political footballs, and have likely started lunchroom debates, none is more personal to your employees than who they are supporting and voting for in an election. There's no escaping that politics is a part of workplaces We asked Alberta's HR community about political conversations in the workplace in our recent HR Trends survey. Overall, they told us that politics is a topic of conversation in four out of fi ve workplaces – they're slightly more common in large organizations than in small organization. It shouldn't be a surprise that these conversations are most common in the public administration sector, either. While these results are specifi c to Alberta, we're confi dent that similar results would play out across the country. Our HR Trends report also provided three important takeaways. First, the tone of these conversations is far more negative than positive (although four out of ten respondents described them as neutral). The negative description isn't necessarily scary, though. This is because our second takeaway is that when describing these conversations, words such as respectful, analytical, and civil far outweigh words such as confrontational, angry, or toxic. Finally, our third takeaway provides some common ground in that over half of these conversations were described as wanting change. What are the risks to your organization? There is a delicate balance between allowing open debate and creating opportunities for confl ict. Yosie Saint-Cyr, writing in Slaw, outlined both human rights concerns around how organizations treat these conversations. She cites a 2016 study by CareerBuilder that found that a majority of American employees believed their workplace had become too politically correct. However, a similar study by BetterWorks and Wakefi eld Research found that 49% of employees had witnessed political conversations turn into an argument. She points out that with so many hot-button issues wrapped up in political discussions (abortion, immigration, LGBTQ rights, etc.), there is obvious potential for spillover comments about protected grounds. These comments can trigger complaints and claims of workplace discrimination and harassment. There are risks to your employees' productivity and engagement as well. Ongoing confl ict in the workplace has a demonstrated effect on lowering employee engagement. Our recent HR Trends report indicated that up to 11% of Alberta employees are actively disengage at work. This means that not only are they unhappy in their roles, but they actually undermine what their engaged co-workers accomplish. If you don't have a policy that addresses politics in the workplace, you're not alone Workplace policies can help organizations articulate what offi ce norms are appropriate for your organization. Our HR Trends report revealed that only 6% of Alberta workplaces have a policy in place around political discussions, though this is expected to increase to just over one in ten within the next year. How can you prepare for these potential confl icts now? The upcoming federal election means that if you don't think these conversations are taking place now, then they're likely to start soon. Taking a few simple steps now will ensure that any disruptions in your workplace are minimized. 1. How exposed is your organization? Are your operations dependent on government contracts or funds? Would a different government restrict or loosen regulations tied to your business? Does your executive team have a high public profi le? The more exposed your organization is to government, the more you can expect these conversations to come up. 2. What is your offi ce culture? Every team has norms. There's a good chance your employees already have an idea of the boundaries of what's acceptable for offi ce small talk. Ask your employees what they feel is acceptable for discussion around politics, and take a look at how your team talks to each other. 3. Would a workplace policy be useful? Though only a small minority of workplaces have policies around political conversations, they offer a concrete set of guidelines that can help in some cases. Policies can include expectations around off-limit topics, how to respond to uncomfortable discussions, and procedures to report inappropriate political discussions. Read up on your existing policies around workplace sensitivity, harassment, and behaviour. You may not need a policy that specifi es political conversations, but reinforces the desired professional tone. 4. Make sure your team is on the same page. The dates are set – we know there are elections coming, and these conversations will come as well. Once you've examined your organization, spoken with your team, and reviewed your existing policies, your fi nal step is to communicate with your team. Everyone in your organization should know what's acceptable, and what to do when these conversations come up. If there's a signifi cant change from what they're used to, make sure to allow some time to transition to a new set of expectations. Your employees are your most valuable asset. By engaging your workforce and establishing a safe, trustworthy environment, your company will see higher productivity and better results. Human Resources Professionals have the skills and expertise to facilitate these conversations, to put a plan in place, and to see it through. Dan Boucher is CPHR Alberta's Director of Regulatory Affairs and Research. He leads the semi-annual HR Trends Report, and is committed to delivering high-quality research and information for Alberta's HR community. "WITH SO MANY HOT-BUTTON ISSUES WRAPPED UP IN POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS THERE IS OBVIOUS POTENTIAL FOR SPILLOVER COMMENTS ABOUT PROTECTED GROUNDS." "OUR RECENT HR TRENDS REPORT INDICATED THAT UP TO 11% OF ALBERTA EMPLOYEES ARE ACTIVELY DISENGAGE AT WORK. THIS MEANS THAT NOT ONLY ARE THEY UNHAPPY IN THEIR ROLES, BUT THEY ACTUALLY UNDERMINE WHAT THEIR ENGAGED CO-WORKERS ACCOMPLISH." "EVERYONE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE, AND WHAT TO DO WHEN THESE CONVERSATIONS COME UP." Can elections make your workplace toxic? Dan Boucher

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