I was accused of being a right winger today!

[Generic Brad]

Anyone who knows me personally is acutely aware that I have been an open and unashamed liberal my entire adult life. But at work I keep my political opinions to myself. I'm there to work, not to sway people to my world view. I go to great lengths to ensure that no one has politically inflammatory pictures in their cubes and I counsel employees who make inappropriate political comments by firmly asking them to be cognizant that not everyone shares their opinions and to be aware that they could unintentionally be offending others. The funny thing is, I have had to do this with people who share my political views more than with ones I disagree with. For instance, I have had to ask people to take down defaced pictures of the president (even the hilariously cleaver ones) because I was concerned it could cause friction among employees who count themselves among his supporters and some of our customers.

The funny thing is that today I discovered I had at least one employee who thought I was a freeper. Maybe its because I'm in management. Maybe it's because I try to keep the work place apolitical. Maybe I misspelled something on a memo he received. Either way, that assessment is dead wrong.

Today I had an employee quit because he said he could not stand the hostile political work environment I foster. He told me he could no longer, in good conscience, work for a right winger.

I admire people who take a stand for their political beliefs. I scratch my head at people who commit professional suicide by taking a stand based on unsubstantiated hearsay.

[Droopy]

1. That dude must have been rich

I work in a blue collar environment, but my bosses are all white collar types. They had Bush paraphernalia all over the place during the last two major elections. They were not shy about telling people they were right wingers.

I'm a working man and unlike some of my delusional brethren I know who's looking out for me. I won't hesitate to tell my bosses how it is. We get along just fine.

I think that most people can find some common ground and that talking about politics is healthy. But I can understand how you wouldn't want to offend a potential customer. Why don't you tell your like minded employees why you have your current policy? I think it might lead to you keeping a valuable employee.

[crispini]

2. Jeez, if my management were so hard-assed,

I'd probably think they were freepers too. I mean, if your customers come by the cubes, then I can understand it, but if the workers are not in a public-facing area, who cares what their political thoughts are? We have political thoughts of both stripes up in our cubes and we are all able to treat it like we are adults.

[spacelady]

3. And pink fuzzy handcuffs too!

[Hissyspit]

5. I'm kinda with crispini on this, Brad

Sounds like a rather suppressive environment to me.

[havocmom]

13. I'm with Brad's censorship on this one

Work is not the place for politics, unless the work IS politics.

To treat the work place as a street corner where everybody gets to practice free speech without any standards and limits would be likely TO create a hostile environment for st least some of the employees.

There's a time and a place. Work is neither.

[Benfea]

4. You can't fool me!

That employee was right! Admit it! You're a freeper plant!

[Generic Brad]

6. If I'm a Freeper, Bush is a liberal

I have people from both extremes of the political spectrum working for me. Part of my job is to make sure everyone plays nice in the sandbox together. My bosses want the workplace to be apolitical. Apolitical it is.

I remember how cruddy I felt during the 2004 elections when I worked in a department that had a few jerks who obnoxiously shoved their perceived Republican victory in face of everyone else. Now that the mood of the country has reversed, the left should not be doing a war dance on the right. Well, actually, the left is justified in doing so on their own time, but not in the work place.

Just because a guy wears a suit and tie to work, it does not automatically make him a Republican. It just means that there is a dress code for management.

[UrbScotty]

7. Bush IS a liberal, says Peggy Noonan

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110008093

[Generic Brad]

8. Maybe I should rephrase

If I am a Freeper, then Ann Coulter is woman.

[Benfea]

12. I was being silly. Yeesh. :P

No text!

[bigwillq]

9. Congrats on 100 posts!

:toast:

[Generic Brad]

10. Thank you bigwillq

It snuck up on me. I've been a lurker for over two years and finally said screw it. I can post too.

[bigwillq]

11. Ain't it fun!

And yes you can post! :hi:

[Floogeldy]

14. If people think you are a Freeper . . .

. . . then perhaps you should re-evaluate you behavior. Hint, hint, Mr. Freeper man!

[Generic Brad]

15. The situation had nothing to do with my behavior

Calling me a right winger was a parting shot from an immature and hostile person who had no clue what he was talking about. The source needs to be taken into account before judgment is passed. If Rush Limbaugh called me a feminazi, the label says more about Rush than it does about me.

One of the requirements of my job is to be diplomatic, fair and impartial in order to foster a non-hostile work environment. The one employee who did not like that was the one who was telling people their specific religions were stupid and their political affiliations were moronic. He demanded I fire someone he did not like with no basis for doing so other than he didn't like her face or voice. So what if his political leanings were liberal? His behavior was blatantly offensive and his assessments of people's politics were way off the mark.

I thought it was amusing he called me a right winger. I am amazed that people who don't know the details of the situation assume there is validity to the charges.

[China_cat]

16. If you're offending everybody

you must be doing something right.

[rustydog]

17. Just tell them: "I wasn't the whiny kid growing up."