Political Beliefs In The Workplace

Politics in the workplace are a complicated topic. An employee’s political beliefs can often intersect with their religion, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Can I get fired based on my political beliefs?

• The short answer is yes, you can get fired for political beliefs.
• According to USA.Gov’s guidelines for termination, if you work for an at-will employer, that means you can be fired for any legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason.
• Political beliefs are not a protected characteristic under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which means they are not protected from discrimination.
• However, according to board-certified employment attorney Cathleen Scott, it is possible for political beliefs to intersect with protected characteristics, such as race or national origin.
• If an employee can argue that they were fired not only because of their political beliefs, but due to discrimination against a protected characteristic, then they may have a case for wrongful termination.

Can I hire employees based on their political beliefs?

• While it isn’t illegal to only hire employees who share certain political opinions, according to Cathleen Scott, it might not be an effective business model.
• Depending on the industry, tribal workplaces of only like-minded employees may lead to being unable to serve a range of clients.

Because political beliefs aren’t a protected characteristic, they exist in a grey area when it comes to making employment decisions. If you aren’t sure whether you’ve been discriminated against due to protected characteristics, contact an employment attorney for a consultation.