Should companies allow politics into the workplace? There’s only one surefire answer | Opinion

Following a dramatic few weeks, the stage for the U.S. presidential election is now set. With the current political climate carrying the potential for acrimonious division, leaders of professional services firms need to approach the election season with great caution.

The reason: The industry-wide talent shortage means you can’t afford to lose good people right now, and a politicized workplace can feel hostile and unpleasant. Highly educated professionals could be backing either side in the election, so setting boundaries for the political behavior of your people and your firm will be key.

This isn’t an entirely new phenomenon — elections are always a fraught time in the office. But in our social media age of corporate activism, companies have felt pressured to weigh in on controversial topics — including those that span further and further away from the organization’s central mission.

It’s easy for companies to get swept up in the political temperature of the day — whether it’s posting about Vice President Kamala Harris’ “brat summer” or getting out there with the latest hot take on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

But inviting political opinions and debate into the office is opening a Pandora’s Box of risk and issues — one that threatens to turn the work environment unfriendly for a team member who disagrees.

Just look at Sticker Mule, a sticker and branding company whose CEO sent out a company database-wide email — to employees, customers and vendors — in support of Trump. Orders were canceled; employees were left confused and concerned; and in general, the company created a divide where there didn’t need to be one.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s on an individual interpersonal level or a corporate policy level: Companies need to maintain a firm, values-driven blanket policy on how they’re going to approach politics before it becomes a problem.

For businesses operating in the world of professional services, it’s not simply a matter of considering the ramifications of who wins. That’s just a regular reality in organizations where regulation and policy impact day-to-day operations. Effective leaders know to always plan for both outcomes without becoming embroiled in the latest campaign news.

But as politics become more divisive, having a policy that covers conversation outside of situation planning is critical, especially as the professional services world deals with its full-blown talent crisis.

Because on that front, it’s a dire human resources landscape out there. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has estimated that 75% of certified public accountants will retire in the next 15 years. Meanwhile, more than 300,000 accountants — 17% of the field — left or quit their jobs between 2020 and 2022.