I don’t know whether Donald Trump will be re-elected or if Joe Biden will be our next president, but I do know that there will be much rejoicing and much weeping no matter who wins. It’s just that the rejoicers and the weepers will change places.
You need to prepare for the day after and plan for a win on either side. Here are some ideas to get you going.
Your office has Trump and Biden supporters.
While I can’t guarantee this is the case in small offices, you likely have both. You may think that everyone agrees with you–but that’s because people are often unwilling to voice their opinion if they think it will cause problems. If the boss is vocally pro-one candidate, wise employees on the other side keep their mouths shut. This means everyone will not share your planned celebration or mourning in the office. Don’t punish or berate an employee who is happy when you’re sad or vice versa.
To keep reading, click here: How to Prepare Your Team for the Day After the Election
NOTE: This article is about handling the office in a time of turmoil, not about your preferred candidate. Thank for keeping Evil HR Lady a politics free zone.
I wholeheartedly support the recommendation to get some chocolate! But, then, that’s my go-to remedy for a lot of things. Seriously, though, I’m lucky. I’m a Federal employee. We are bound by the Hatch Act, which pretty much prevents any kind of at-work activity tending to promote the success of partisan campaigns, which precludes most political discussions. Once the election is over, though, the Hatch Act no longer applies, so there is some relaxation of the rules. Personally, I’m Old School. Our parents raised us not to discuss politics and religion around the dinner table, unless we were certain that everyone there shared our sentiments, simply because such topics could be too divisive. I’ve always carried that practice into my workplaces. I happen to know the political leanings of my co-workers, simply because of stray comments of theirs around the water cooler. They happen to support the opposing party and candidates. I’ve scrupulously avoided doing or saying anything to reveal my political preferences, and plan to keep it that way. But, in workplaces not bound by the Hatch Act, I still think it would be best to avoid partisan politics at work, but if not, everyone should still be bound by basic office policies of treating everyone with dignity and respect and keeping it civil.
Don’t expect people to be super productive this week. Regardless of who they’re pulling for, it’s a stressful and distracting time.
The only stress being experienced right now in workplaces is what to expect is going to impact the business, especially if that business had to undergo a mandated closure and has just gotten the business back up running within the required safety measures. One candidate has guaranteed to re-instate mandated closures of businesses and quarantine of everyone, forcing all to rely on the government to help which means giving the government total control of your entire life.
From a business sense, for financial survival, you need to continue operating or demand subsidies. But no one is thinking of where this money will come from either. I would be curious how EvilHRlady views employment in a socialist society. Do the rules change as to employment rights for the better or for the worse. This is the big stress facing all Americans right now.
Yes the Hatch law forbids discussion directly in the workplace, but people talk among themselves where HR has no jurisdiction.
Please, let’s keep this a politics-free zone.
Ha! Hahahaha
This comment is like saying:
I know my leg is broken but the short term loss in income, comfort, and freedom of a cast is absolutely unacceptable.
So you try to walk around on it and permanently screw up your ability to ever heal at the worst, or significantly pro long the time you are hampered at best.
Right now we have uneccassarily pro longed our suffering under Corona that targeted closures and mask mandates could have alleviated easily (as seen in S. Korea, Germany, Japan, and even China).
The false dichotomy you proposed also ignores the loss in business you have experienced from millions like me who are not shopping or dining because Covid hasn’t been contained. If there were mask mandates, contact tracing, and control measures in place you would have my $3,000 that is instead collecting interest in savings as I don’t hit the bars, restaurants, arcades, and shows like I normally would in a year. It also pretends companies like mine, who is pro Covid control measures, don’t exist.
BTW unlike my prior company who tried to blindly return to “business as usual”, my new company made record profits while protecting it’s staff. I think we pulled in 19 billion in profits compares to last year’s 10. We did so with an income guareentee for staff who could not perform (mainly sales) and covering the WFH transition costs for our staff. My prior company was cheap about it, brought people back in person as soon as mandates were lifted, and now they are wondering why they are understaffed, underperforming, and losing talent left and right. (Hint. Their best workers got new jobs. Also a sizeable portion are out sick with Covid, and those that “recovered” are at about 80% productivity due to fatigue that hasn’t let up.)
So spare us your “businesses are only stressed about” crap as you clearly have no clue.
Ha!!! This is exactly what is wrong in this world – your company raked in 19 billion in profits. Meanwhile my friend’s bar in our resort town (and many other very small mom and pop’s) shut down and no longer exist – they were not even given the chance to do masks and distancing – they were shut down completely.
But glad your company got its billions. My company is essential – and front line – we have had 4 confirmed covid cases since March and none of them have been ill.