3 Reasons Why Companies Should Talk Politics

Keep politics out of the workplace.

It’s a mantra all of us have heard, but one that’s impossible to follow. Because like it or not, politics — or more specifically policy — inherently affects all of our workplaces. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, your wages, taxes, and livelihood is affected by workforce and economic policy.

So rather than avoiding discussions about the 2020 election, businesses should support political engagement by encouraging employees to share their opinions and vote in this year’s election.
Because fostering a company culture that celebrates civic engagement and supports American democracy is good for business.

Businesses are a vital part of our communities, and communities prosper when they are governed by representatives who reflect the needs, priorities and interests of community members. This means that encouraging employees to vote will strengthen businesses, communities, and our democracy.

We’ve seen it firsthand working while leading brands across every vertical. So, here are the three reasons why promoting political engagement will help businesses thrive:

1. When workers vote, policies better reflect the needs of businesses.

In 2016, only about 57 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot. Around 43 percent of Americans eligible to vote sat out entirely. And in the end, President Trump was elected by 27 percent of the voting-eligible population’s vote.

That means that in 2016, around a quarter of Americans who were eligible to vote decided on who the United States president would be.

How can we expect a president to value the needs and priorities of most Americans if most Americans aren’t voting to elect them? The short answer is: we can’t.

If we want a healthy, vibrant democracy that supports healthy, vibrant businesses then we need to help every American worker understand why their political engagement is so vital. Businesses can play an important role in helping foster this kind of political engagement among their employees, and once the majority of workers become politically interested and engaged, then the policies our representatives support will more closely align with the policies workers support as well.

2. Political engagement improves employee communication skills.

Political polarization today has reached an all time high.

A Pew Research study from 2016 found that nearly half of all Democrats and Republicans reported being scared of the opposing party. This fear contributes to workers only communicating within echo chambers where they never have to interact or discuss issues with folks whose ideas and beliefs differ from their own.

In a time when over two-thirds of recruiters across all industries say communication is the most important skill they look for, do we really want employees who don’t know how to communicate with people of differing beliefs? Do we want employees who have no experience communicating with people from different backgrounds, different ideologies, and different world views?

For millions of Americans, the office (or virtual office) is the only place left where individuals regularly interact with a diverse group of people from different walks of life. If employees don’t have the opportunity to engage with their co-workers about politics, they likely won’t experience any sort of meaningful communication about political issues with people outside of their immediate social circle.

By encouraging workers to have respectful conversations about politics with their colleagues, companies can help their employees harness communication skills that will enable them to become better employees, better team members, and more well-rounded people.

3. Strong democracies build healthier businesses.

A strong American democracy is good for business.

Our political beliefs are as varying as our industries, but there is one important thing all business leaders and employees have in common: We thrive when we are governed by representatives who support and enhance our ability to compete and innovate in an increasingly competitive global economy.

In a recent video, our CEO Sam Caucci said “work is a contact sport.” At 1Huddle, we believe democracy is also a contact sport.

Our democracy and our society cannot function without our participation. Participatory government is, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, our “last best hope” for advancing equality, fairness, and opportunity for all. Businesses play a key role in ensuring participatory government is free, fair, and accessible to all by supporting their employee’s right to vote.

In 2018, a record 44 percent of American employers gave their workers paid time off to vote. And in 2020, a growing number of companies are joining the movement to strengthen American democracy by committing to voter-friendly policies. 1Huddle is proud to be part of this movement.

We have joined the electionday.org campaign and pledged to encourage our employees to vote, remove work-related barriers to voting, and foster a company culture of celebratory civic engagement. We hope you’ll do the same.

Stay tuned for 1Huddle’s Election Day plan for employee voting, and while you wait you can check out our RAISE Every Worker Policy Plan that aims to raise up all workers by preparing them for the future of work. Spoiler alert: the future of work isn’t really in the future. It’s here and now, just like the future of our democracy.

So come November 3rd, get out and vote!