Politically correct, literally

There’s no doubt about it. This has been one of the more exciting and involving campaign seasons in many of our lifetimes. Not only are the Democratic candidates history-making because of one’s color and another’s gender, but the race has been both hard-fought and close. Now the Republicans and Democrats stand ready to go head-to-head over issues that affect our daily lives so profoundly that we’re all likely to remain invested in and ready to express our opinions about the process for some time to come.

We live in a time when, in many regards, anything goes at work. Many of us feel relaxed about everything from dress codes to discussions in the coffee room. But don’t count on the same leeway when it comes to political activity in the workplace. While you may think freedom of speech should prevail, you may not be protected if your political views sound like discrimination. Given the issues of race, gender and age that are inherent in this race, and it’s all too easy to be seen as speaking in a discriminatory manner, when in fact you simply mean to express your political choice.

Using your office e-mail to express political views or to arrange for political activities can be especially problematic. Beyond the usual caution to confine office e-mails to business matters, it’s smart to realize that messages about politics can be tricky, especially if they are read out of context. Consider how the statement, “Wow! When I was growing up, a black man would never make it so far!” can be read either as jubilation about the rise of equal opportunity, or as a racial slur. Or look at the remark, “He’s certainly got the years to know all about it!” This could be read as an endorsement of McCain’s experience or as a reservation about electing an older man to the presidency.

You can step into another workplace quagmire when you display your political views by means of pins, clothing and posters. Managers who do this may be seen as pressuring their subordinates, while others may be seen as challenging managers or co-workers with such displays. Remember, unless you are in New York Yankees territory, it’s probably safer in a casual-dress work environment to wear a T-shirt with Manny Ramirez’s name on it than one bearing the name McCain or Obama.

It’s natural to share with our colleagues some of our excitement about this unusually intense political contest. But when we’re on the job, it makes sense to exercise some common-sense awareness about the extra issues involved in this race.