I thought we were a pretty apolitical office right up until the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Now it seems like everyone is a political activist, and feelings are hurt.
Is there any way to reduce the political tension in the office?
To read my answer, click here: Workplace tensions after Roe v. Wade
Since social media have influenced so many to be so much more contentious, for several years now, I have advocated for organizations to adopt the “No A**hole Rule.” Basically, it is a policy requiring everyone to discipline themselves to behave in a mature, civil, polite, cooperative, manner. I work for a Federal agency, so political discussions are pretty much off limits anyway, due to the Hatch Act. However, in settings where politics can be discussed, sometimes people with opposing, passionate, views simply need to “agree to disagree,” and leave it at that.
I learned in 2016 not to discuss anything political with coworkers. As someone with a hidden disability, finding out they supported a candidate who openly mocked a disabled reporter made me lose all respect for them. When two of them wore campaign gear into the office, I reported it. Management agreed with me and said “No electioneering in the office.”
This employer was located in the Bible Belt; I’m very glad I don’t work there anymore. I can only imagine the conversations around the Dobbs decision (not just from the men).
I don’t even discuss politics (or religion) with my own family. I’m certainly not going to do so at work, or anywhere else.
Unless politics are part of the climate of the workplace–Your workplace–that decides the way to do business, politics has no place in a workplace. Okay, some places of business (private enterprises) may have the CEO/owner decide to make changes at work because they want the entire company to reflect their personal opinion–e.g. Disney and Victoria’s Secret and are willing to accept the consequences of their actions to the business. As an employee on the low end of the totem pole, you, the employee, have no right to even express agreement or disagreement on the company policies because you are dependent on receiving a paycheck from the company. Save your politics for outside of work and even then don’t make a public spectacle of yourself or you could be fired.
You write that “All 50 states allow abortion when there is a threat to the mother’s health”.
No, in many cases it’s only acceptable if the mother’s life is in danger. The bar for what is considered a “threat to the mother’s life” is extremely high in some cases. To take a recent high profile example – a *10YEAR OLD child* who was denied an abortion because apparently it’s not dangerous for a 10 year old to carry a baby to term and then deliver it.
Also, if you have one payroll person, it’s generally going to be stupid simple to prove that having someone else handle payroll related payments for one person is a major imposition.
But the rest is probably good advice.
That doesn’t even take into account the chilling effect on doctors. They will be afraid of being prosecuted and potentially going to jail because the bar is so high. So, they are not going to provide the care needed until the mother is imminently dying and by then it is usually too late to save them.