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.

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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