Talking politics at work?
For the AJC
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Attorney and staunch Republican Brent Herrin threatens to put a John McCain bumper sticker on fellow attorney Rebecca Godbey’s car. A staunch Democrat, she says she’ll have him arrested. They’re kidding — well, mostly.
With side-by-side offices at Cohen Pollock Merlin & Small PC, they have been sparring over the presidential campaign since January, when Godbey joined the firm as a wills and trust lawyer. Herrin works in tax and estate planning law, so the two cross paths literally and professionally in the 50-member Atlanta firm.
Leita Cowart / Special
Attorneys Brent Herrin and Rebecca Godbey of Cohen Pollock Merlin & Small PC, are political foes. Wall Street Journal reader Herrin is a Republican; New York Times reader Godbey is a Democrat.
“It started when a couple of associates, including Brent, were discussing the Democratic nomination race and someone said, ‘Hey, Rebecca — you’re a big liberal — what do you think of Hillary Clinton?’ ” said Godbey, partner. “I responded because Brent seemed really curious about what I thought. When someone is ready to listen and is open to what others think, then you can have a productive political conversation.”
The two have been debating the issues ever since. They mostly restrict their discussions to lunch, but occasionally it comes up at the office, and an associate may chime in.
“This is a law office, so plenty of people talk politics. As far as I know there are no guidelines about it,” she said.
Herrin and Godbey have set their own guidelines, allowing them to remain friends instead of enemies.
“Politics are about deeply held values, and you can offend someone if you’re not careful,” Godbey said. “I make it a point only to talk politics with people I know pretty well. Brent is my first really conservative friend, and I respect the way he thinks.”
“I’m passionate about free-market thinking and originalist constitutional issues,” said Herrin, associate attorney, “but I understand that other people think differently. I don’t want anyone attacking me personally because I believe something. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make him a bad person.
“Both Rebecca and I worked previously on Capitol Hill, so we’re passionate about politics, but we have agreed to disagree agreeably.”
Well versed in the issues and interested in policy, they often talk in debate style.
“I don’t like discussions that just exchange sound bites. I like to go to the Internet and research something in order to advocate or defend my point of view,” Herrin said. “Rebecca and I don’t talk over each other and we’re respectful of each other’s views. We try to keep the emotions out of it.”
That’s not always easy. Godbey admits to calling a halt to discussions briefly after McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, and discussions everywhere were getting unpleasant.
“I thought I’d have to call it off after that, but we’re both policy junkies. This is our passion and our hobby, so we worked through it,” she said.
Both expect their discussions to continue long after the election is over, and joke that they should start a radio talk show.
“Name any hot-button issue like [abortion] choice or affirmative action and we’re at opposite ends of the spectrum, but if we talk and listen to each other for half an hour, we generally find common ground,” Godbey said. “We agree on way more than we disagree on, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to vote the same way.”
Respect for each other and their differences keeps the attorneys’ discussions under control, but that’s not always the case in the workplace.
In a 2007 Vault Politics in the Workplace Survey, 66 percent of respondents said co-workers discussed politics in the workplace; 46 percent had witnessed a political argument between co-workers.
“Politics is a hot button because it’s part of people’s core values and they feel very strongly about it,” said Bill Kahnweiler, associate professor at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Religion, family upbringing, cultural background and socioeconomic standing may inform someone’s politics, making it personal and emotional turf.
“Politics in the office is a thorny issue,” Kahnweiler said. There is no easy, paint-by-number guide that companies can adopt, he said.
Some people see the right to discuss politics as a free-speech issue, Kahnweiler said, “but how much of one’s personal life should be allowed to invade the workplace? A business has other priorities and goals, and generally wants its employees to achieve common ground.”
Turning the office into a political battleground can be disruptive. Hurt feelings, resentment and anger can lead to loss of productivity.
“Political arguments can be a time-waster and an unnecessary diversion from what people are hired to do,” Kahnweiler said. “Having a new client walk into a raucous wrangle with below-the-belt comments isn’t the image most corporations or workers want to project.”
Many companies use their non-solicitation policies to prohibit open campaigning in the office, putting brochures in the break room, or sending political messages over company e-mail.
“In my experience, most companies monitor politics in the office on an informal basis and only step in when things get out of hand,” Kahnweiler said. Employees should use good judgment and understand the acceptable norms in their company culture and abide by them, he said.
“Before engaging in open political discussion at the office, it’s best to know your company’s policies,” said Mykal Hackney, director of Manners House School of Etiquette and Protocol. She advises corporate clients to just say “no” to political talk at work.
“As a general rule, it’s best not to go there. Tell people you prefer not to discuss politics. It’s one of those subjects — like religion, how much money you make, your health and your diet — that you don’t need to get into with co-workers or clients. It’s best to leave politics outside the office,” she said.
The trouble is that everyone has an opinion, she said.
“When a manager puts forth his opinion, or tries to convince subordinates to share his views, he’s putting workers at an unfair disadvantage and may be creating a hostile work environment,” Hackney said. No employees should feel ostracized, harassed or punished for their political beliefs. That can be considered a hostile work environment and lead to litigation.
Because many people have strong opinions about parties and candidates, discussions can easily escalate to arguments, sometimes heated ones, said Barbara Pachter, business etiquette expert and author of “New Rules @ Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead.”
“You can alter people’s opinions of you, sometimes not favorably, if they disagree with your comments,” she said.
With the election near, it’s a good idea to have an exit strategy if political arguments arise.
“You can quickly excuse yourself,” Pachter said.