How to protect your organization and your employees this week

Leaders of every organization in the United States will need to consider the impact of elections on their organizations and their people. Possible scenarios range from business as usual to situations where employees are no longer willing to cooperate or election-related violence occurs. A victory for either side could lead to radically different futures, as well as potential threats, protests and other upheaval.

In a recent survey of 67 senior resilience, risk, security and crisis leaders, 91% of respondents thought violence was likely, according to Sigma7. While 70% of U.S. business leaders are concerned about the U.S. election, about one in four respondents said they are not prepared to deal with political risks, according to a study by Beazley Insurance. “As we move closer to Election Day and its results, divisions at work may increase dramatically as employees bring their personal views and anxieties to workplace discussions,” wrote Daryl Brewster, CEO of Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP) ).

In addition to the elections themselves, other factors contribute to the polarization of American society. These include anti-abortion rulings, pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian activism, deepfakes using artificial intelligence, and conspiracy theories entering the mainstream. In addition, businesses and other organizations face reputational risk. Disgruntled employees may use social media to bring negative attention to their employers, which can cause reputational damage and financial loss. And, alarmingly, Americans now recognize that violence is a valid means of resolving political disputes.

This is uncharted territory. In the absence of a clear action plan, I wanted to know what companies should do to ensure that their operations were not disrupted and that employees felt protected and supported. Below is new guidance that leaders can use to help determine what their organizations can do proactively and how they can respond to unexpected events.

Stick to your purpose and principles

Honesty about what your organization stands for is the basis for all communications and actions taken in response to political upheaval. At Wesleyan College, this week’s actions will be guided by its Methodist heritage, which teaches participation in sacred conference—the practice of discussing differing views with respect, humility, and a sincere desire to understand each other. “Our principles of a Culture of CARING have never been more relevant than today,” said Meagan Blythe, President of Wesleyan. “By upholding our commitment to accountability, respect and fairness, we are creating space for meaningful dialogue across political divides while maintaining our shared sense of community.”

Building Confidence in Election Security

According to a 2023 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 44% of the public has “great/fair” confidence that votes in the 2024 presidential election will be counted accurately. It’s important that so many Americans are concerned, and their concerns should be taken seriously. The Conference Board believes business leaders can play a key role by leveraging resources for security measures already implemented for the election that address common disinformation narratives. To support leaders, the organization has developed an Elections Toolkit with sample messages that can be shared with employees.

Engage your Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)

CDOs are likely already aware of current and potential regulatory issues and assessing their impact on their organizations. They can play a key role in protecting companies from internal divisions and schisms. They can also use this knowledge to engage managers in scenario planning. In particular, regarding the results of tomorrow’s elections and what they will bring in 2025 and beyond. “Other CDO tactics include monthly meetings with the company’s government relations team, ongoing discussions with their general counsel to prepare for potential DEI-related litigation by states and organizations, and, especially for large organizations, posting on Capitol Hill group that includes representatives from the DEI function,” said Ruth Umo, editor of Fortune magazine.

Prioritize co-creation and collaboration

Employees in most organizations are likely to be passionate about many of the issues on the agenda and may experience significant anxiety after the election. “Presidio Graduate School has a culture of co-creation, collaboration, and inclusivity that allows diverse positions to be considered,” said Faculty Chair Marsha Willard. Presidio regularly brings its community together to share appreciation; provide new information; raise problems with solutions; and solve puzzles that have no immediate solution. “Because this is common practice, over time we have built trust that makes tackling sensitive issues manageable,” Willard says.

Provide resources for emotional and psychological support

This election is causing a lot of stress for employees, and mental health resources can help employees deal with their emotions constructively. CESP encourages organizations to offer access to employee assistance programs, mental health resources and stress management workshops. “Prioritizing employee well-being contributes not only to employee health and happiness, but also to the overall success and sustainability of the organization,” writes Daryl Brewster in How to Bring Your Employees Together During the 2024 Election.

Remain Neutral in Company Communications

CECP recommends avoiding political messages in official communications. For example, instead of using abstract, vague, and contradictory terms, organizations should use concrete, concrete, and clear examples in inclusive language to create a sense of unity and belonging. Organizations should also encourage managers to engage in dialogue with employees around the core values ​​that underpin democracy, such as freedom, justice and unity. Overall, it is important to remind employees that the workplace is a neutral ground where the focus is on collaboration, growth and mutual respect. “This is also a good time for business leaders to advocate for unity, and where employees with different political views can feel heard, valued and respected,” Brewster writes.

Establish relationships with law enforcement

“If you have not already done so, now is the time to establish relationships with local law enforcement agencies, as well as their state or regional intelligence centers, to complement the organization’s intelligence gathering efforts,” says Dr. Marisa Randazzo, executive director of Ontic center of excellence. She believes now is a good time to create multidisciplinary teams to address threats of workplace violence and conduct tabletop exercises to look at possible scenarios.

Prepare for political unrest

How will you deal with threats to your organization? How prepared are your employees at all levels for political unrest? What training have your managers, facilities management teams and staff received in case of crisis situations? What risk controls or business continuity and emergency management plans do you have in place? How quickly can you deploy them across your organization in the event of a crisis? Unfortunately, according to Dr. Mike Blyth, Chief Revenue Officer of Sigma7, all of these questions are important to answer. This starts with consulting with your internal risk and security team, conducting an audit of existing procedures and developing a customized resilience strategy.

“The strength of our college lies in our ability to learn from each other, especially when we hold different points of view,” Blythe said. “In times of political change, we must remember that our shared commitment to education, understanding and mutual respect transcends partisan differences.”

Every leader will need to think about how to protect their people and organization this week. Blythe’s message is one that everyone should take to heart.