Navigating Election Year Stress in HR

In today’s politically charged environment, HR professionals using UKG and Paylocity systems face unprecedented challenges, particularly when it comes to navigating election year stress in HR. As election seasons approach, workplace tensions can, unfortunately, rise, potentially impacting productivity, employee well-being, and overall company culture. Furthermore, a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 42% of U.S. employees have personally experienced political disagreements at work. This finding highlights the urgency of addressing this issue to foster a more harmonious workplace.

This comprehensive guide on Navigating Election Year Stress in HR outlines five effective strategies to maintain a positive work atmosphere during politically sensitive times, with a focus on leveraging UKG and Paylocity features to implement these solutions efficiently.

1. Leverage Employee Sentiment Surveys: The Power of Listening

In times of political uncertainty, the ability to accurately gauge your workforce’s emotional temperature becomes invaluable. Employee sentiment surveys serve as your organization’s early warning system, allowing you to identify and address potential issues before they escalate.

Why Surveys Matter

According to a Gallup poll, employees who feel their voices are heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work. Moreover, by regularly soliciting feedback, you’re not just collecting data – you’re also showing your workforce that their opinions matter.

Implementing Surveys with UKG and Paylocity

UKG’s Survey Tools

UKG offers robust survey capabilities that allow you to:

Create customized questionnaires tailored to your organization’s specific needs
Schedule recurring pulse surveys to track sentiment over time
Analyze results with powerful data visualization tools

Best Practice: Set up a monthly “Political Climate Check” survey using UKG’s tools. Include questions like:

“On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable do you feel discussing politics at work?”
“Have you witnessed any political tensions in your team in the past month?”
“What resources could the company provide to help navigate political discussions?”

Paylocity’s Survey on Demand

Paylocity’s Survey on Demand feature is perfect for creating quick, targeted questionnaires that address timely concerns. Use this tool to:

Gather instant feedback after company-wide announcements
Conduct anonymous polls on sensitive topics
Measure the effectiveness of your political discourse policies

Pro Tip: Create a survey template in Paylocity specifically for election seasons. This allows you to quickly deploy surveys as needed, ensuring you’re always on top of evolving sentiments.

Acting on Survey Results

Collecting data is only half the battle. To make surveys truly effective:

Share aggregated results with your workforce to promote transparency
Form focus groups to dig deeper into identified issues
Develop action plans based on survey insights and communicate these plans to employees

By consistently surveying and promptly acting on the results, you not only create a feedback loop that fosters trust but also demonstrate your unwavering commitment to maintaining a harmonious workplace environment.

2. Implement Flexible PTO Policies: Empowering Employee Well-being

During high-stress political periods, offering additional PTO options can serve as a pressure release valve for your workforce. A study by the American Psychological Association found that 57% of Americans report that the current political climate is a significant source of stress. By providing flexible time-off options, you’re giving employees the space they need to manage this stress effectively.

Types of PTO to Consider

Voting Leave

To ensure all employees have ample time to cast their ballots, it’s important to consider potential obstacles. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, long wait times at polling places can be a significant barrier to voting. Therefore, by offering dedicated voting leave, you’re actively supporting civic engagement.

Implementation Idea: Configure UKG or Paylocity to offer a special “Voting Leave” category, allowing employees to easily request and track this time off.

Mental Health Days

The concept of mental health days is gaining traction in progressive workplaces. A survey by Mind Share Partners found that 86% of respondents believe a company’s culture should support mental health. During politically charged times, these days can be especially crucial.

Best Practice: Use Paylocity’s Community feature to promote mental health awareness and encourage the use of mental health days when needed.

Volunteer Time Off (VTO)

To further encourage civic engagement beyond voting, you can offer VTO. This may include providing time for campaign volunteering, working at polling stations, or participating in community political events, which enhances overall participation in the political process.

UKG Tip: To enhance efficiency, utilize UKG’s time tracking features to create a specific VTO category. By implementing this, you will make it easy for employees to log their hours while simultaneously simplifying the approval process for managers.

Customizing PTO Policies in UKG and Paylocity

Both UKG and Paylocity offer flexible time-off tracking systems that can be tailored to support these initiatives:

Create custom time-off categories for voting, mental health, and volunteering
Set up approval workflows that streamline the request process
Generate reports to track usage and ensure equitable access to these benefits

Advanced Strategy: Use UKG’s predictive analytics to forecast PTO usage during election seasons, allowing you to plan staffing levels accordingly.

3. Foster Transparent Communication: The Cornerstone of Trust

In times of political uncertainty, clear and open communication becomes more critical than ever. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that employees who feel their company communicates effectively are 4.6 times more likely to feel proud to work there.

Building a Communication Strategy

Leverage UKG’s Communication Modules

UKG offers powerful tools for disseminating company-wide messages:

Use the announcement feature to share important updates
Create targeted communication groups for department-specific information
Utilize the mobile app for real-time notifications

As a best practice, it’s recommended to schedule regular “Political Climate Updates” using UKG’s communication tools. These updates not only help address any workplace tensions but also reinforce company policies and provide essential resources for employees.

Maximize Paylocity’s Community Feature

Paylocity’s Community is an excellent platform for fostering open dialogue:

Create dedicated channels for discussing company policies related to political expression
Use the polling feature to quickly gauge employee opinions on workplace issues
Encourage managers to use Community for team-specific updates and discussions

Engagement Idea: Host a “Policy Explainer” series on Paylocity’s Community, where HR leaders break down company guidelines related to political discourse in short, engaging posts.

Hosting Virtual Town Halls

Regular town halls can serve as a forum for addressing concerns and reinforcing company values:

Use UKG or Paylocity’s scheduling tools to set up recurring town hall events
Prepare a structured agenda that includes time for Q&A
Record sessions and make them available for employees who couldn’t attend live

Pro Tip: Use Paylocity’s Survey on Demand feature to collect questions and discussion topics before each town hall, ensuring you address the most pressing concerns.

4. Provide Nonpartisan Education Resources: Empowering Through Knowledge

In an era of information overload and “fake news,” providing employees with access to factual, unbiased information becomes increasingly crucial. In fact, a study by the Pew Research Center found that 64% of Americans say fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events.

Creating a Curated Resource List

Develop a comprehensive list of nonpartisan election resources:

Official government election websites
Fact-checking organizations (e.g., FactCheck.org, PolitiFact)
Nonpartisan policy research institutions (e.g., Pew Research Center, Brookings Institution)

To ensure an effective implementation strategy, you can utilize UKG’s document management system or Paylocity’s file storage feature to create an easily accessible “Election Information Hub.” Consequently, this hub will allow employees to conveniently find and access these important resources when needed.

Offering Workshops on Media Literacy and Critical Thinking

Equip your employees with the skills to navigate the complex media landscape:

1. Develop a series of workshops covering topics like:

Identifying reliable news sources
Understanding confirmation bias
Fact-checking techniques

2. Use UKG Learning or Paylocity’s Learning Management System (LMS) to deliver this content:

Create interactive e-learning modules
Schedule live webinars with Q&A sessions
Offer self-paced courses that employees can take on their own time

To enhance engagement, consider implementing a badging system in your LMS. By doing so, you will recognize employees who complete these courses, thereby fostering a culture of continuous learning within your organization.

Leveraging External Experts

Consider bringing in nonpartisan experts to provide additional context and insight:

Invite political scientists or historians for guest lectures
Host panel discussions with local community leaders
Organize Q&A sessions with election officials

Tech Tip: To streamline the process, use UKG or Paylocity’s event management features to schedule and promote these expert sessions. By doing this, you will make it easy for employees to register and attend.

5. Navigating Election Year Stress in HR: Establish Clear Guidelines for Political Discussion: Creating a Respectful Environment

While it’s important to allow for free expression, setting boundaries for workplace political discourse is crucial for maintaining a productive and respectful environment. A survey by Gartner found that 44% of employees actively avoid coworkers because of their political views, highlighting the need for clear guidelines.

Developing Comprehensive Policies

Create a detailed policy that outlines:

Acceptable forms of political expression at work
Guidelines for respectful dialogue
Processes for reporting policy violations
Consequences for non-compliance

For effective policy implementation, you should use UKG’s policy management tools to distribute these guidelines. Additionally, this approach will help you track employee acknowledgment, ensuring that everyone is informed and compliant with the established policies.

Communicating and Enforcing Guidelines

Effectively rolling out and maintaining these policies is key:

1. Conduct training sessions on the new guidelines

Use Paylocity’s LMS to create and deliver this training
Include role-playing exercises to illustrate proper and improper behavior

2. Empower managers to enforce policies consistently

Provide manager-specific training on handling political discussions
Use UKG’s performance management tools to track and document any policy violations

3. Regularly review and update policies

Set up annual policy reviews in UKG’s task management system
Use Paylocity’s Survey on Demand to gather employee feedback on policy effectiveness

As a best practice, it’s important to create a “Political Expression FAQ” document in UKG or Paylocity’s knowledge base. This document will effectively address common questions and scenarios related to the policy, thereby ensuring clarity and consistency in how these situations are handled.

Need Help Implementing These Strategies for Navigating Election Year Stress in HR?

Effectively using your HR management software is key to successfully implementing these workplace harmony initiatives while navigating election year stress in HR. Whether you’re using UKG or Paylocity, our team is ready to support you in leveraging these powerful tools to their full potential.