Benefits October 19, 2004

Most Comfortable Talking Politics with the Boss

October 19, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Political discussions this election season may be more passionate and polarized than in years past, but this isn't stopping employees from sharing their views in the workplace.
Reported by

Seventy-four percent of executives surveyed by the American Management Association (AMA) said they feel relatively comfortable sharing their political views with colleagues, while nearly two-thirds (65%) stated that they feel the same way regarding political conversations with their boss.

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However, policies in the office regarding political statements are not all that common, according to the survey. Forty-five percent of those surveyed stated that their company had no written policy that prohibits the distribution or posting of material that endorses a political party or candidate, though 40% said they did have such policies. Fifteen percent were unsure.

The AMA survey also showed that most companies are not postponing business decisions until after the election, with only 13% stating that they were. Of these 13%:

  • 23% are holding off on capital expenditures,
  • 13% are deferring bonuses,
  • 13% are holding back on raises, and
  • 10% have mergers and acquisitions on hold.

Ten percent also say they are holding off on reorganizations, and the same percentage is holding off on new hires and global expansions.

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