How Employers Can Communicate with Empathy Post-Election

As election stress takes its toll on employees, how can companies offer support?

Election weeks are stressful — simple as that. With stress over the future of the country, coupled with employees working overtime to create contingency plans for however the election goes, it’s easy for internal communications to get lost in the mix. Given the deeply personal nature of this election for many people and the fact that the results of the presidential race could be inconclusive for a while, this week is sure to take a toll on employees. Companies have a responsibility to ensure their employees have the resources they need to weather the weeks ahead, and the flexibility to step away as needed. Below are a few tangible steps companies can take:

1. Acknowledge the Election’s Emotional Impact: The election will have emotional and far-reaching impacts on the lives of all your employees. The idea that politics has no place in the workplace doesn’t stand in 2020, and it’s essential that company leadership take pause in the days after the election to acknowledge and reaffirm the difficulties that employees may be facing as they process the results (or, as could well be the case, deal with the anxiety of awaiting a final decision). Whatever happens, the next few weeks will require patience and compassion across your organization, and leading from the top is critical.

2. Create Virtual Support Spaces: With many employees working from home at this time, it’s important to create forums for folks to discuss and process the results collectively.  While some employees may prefer to work through their feelings about the election in solitude, others may feel a need for community — and companies are in a unique position to provide this in the days after the election. It could be as simple as opening a virtual room in Zoom or Google Hangouts where folks can drop over a two- or three-hour period. Make sure to designate a monitor for the room in order to facilitate constructive, empathetic discussion.

3. Reaffirm Your Company Values: Whichever way the election swings, employees may start to ask questions about what it means for the future of your company. In such a divisive election year, company values around respect for every individual, equal opportunities and inclusive culture are especially top of mind, and being explicit and assertive about their continued importance for your organization is key to maintaining a safe work environment for all.

4. Encourage Self Care & Provide Wellness Resources: Companies should take steps to promote employee wellness in the wake of the election, facilitating self care with both messages of support and tangible resources. This is a good time to remind employees about any pre-existing wellness benefits you may have. If your company hasn’t yet thought about offering benefits such as free counseling or wellness stipends, now is the time to consider potential offerings. At the bare minimum,  leadership should promote a culture of tolerance and flexibility, enabling employees to take time away from work to focus on caring for themselves, as needed.

5. Foster Continued Dialogue Amongst Employees: For many people, the 2020 election and surrounding social context has created a greater sense of civic duty and more profound engagement with social justice issues. It’s important not to dampen dialogue on important topics like racial equity for the sake of calming potential friction among employees following the election. Use the election as a springboard for further discussion around our society’s most urgent issues – even if some may seem them as contentious.

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