ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT
Portable Sanitation Association International News
BIWEEKLY EDITION JULY 8, 2020
Page 7
Continued on page 14
"Someone Oughta Shoot a Few of 'em"
There's a lot going on in the world right now. Unless you have
no employees, odds are good opinions on things like protesters,
monuments, flags, race, policing, LGBT rights, COVID-19, and a
host of other issues are being carried into your workplace every
day. Recently, a company leader overheard a conversation outside
her office window between a worker and a manager that went
something like this:
Employee: "Yeah, I know this sounds horrible, but
someone oughta shoot a few of 'em
[protesters]. That'll clear 'em out."
Manager: "No kidding. A little ammo therapy is what's
needed."
For every conversation that is overheard, there are probably many more discussions on hot topics that run under
management's radar. It's important to think about how you will handle them before you are caught flatfooted while
the talk is going on underneath your window or reported to you by another employee who is upset.
1. There's company culture, and then there are lines that should not be crossed. Regardless of your personal
beliefs, or those of your company owners, if this kind of conversation is happening at work you need to pay
attention. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. No one is entitled to threaten to commit criminal acts or
otherwise take actions that are harmful to others. These remarks should be addressed immediately, clearly
prohibited, and documented. In the scenario above, this is especially important since one of the people
involved is a manager.
2. Don't ignore offensive language just because no
one seems to be offended. What if the conversation
you overheard wasn't as severe? What if they were just
exchanging jokes about a particular ethnic group or
people of a certain sexual orientation? Even if you don't
employ anybody from those groups, it's a bad idea
to ignore the stories. You don't know who is listening,
or who has a gay relative, or who might assume your
tolerance of the joke means you would be biased in
hiring. Would you want them talking this way in front
of customers? It's better to have a company Code of
Conduct that spells out what you expect with regard
to behavior toward others and then stick to it with
everyone.
3. Free speech is not free at work. Inevitably, someone
is likely to complain that you are infringing on his or her
right to free speech. The Constitution prohibits the government from shutting down free speech, but your
company is not the government. As a point of law, there is no right to free speech at work (learn more
here). You get to decide how much talk about politics, current events, and other sensitive topics you allow
on company time. Whatever your personal views, do you want customers whose views may differ? If so,
you may find it best to address what is acceptable in your Code of Conduct and make it clear the Code
applies both on and off the yard. Your Code may also need to address how employees express themselves
in social media posts since things have a tendency to be seen by many people outside your company.
