Ray Ripple Quoted in “Boston lawyer talks how to address political expression in the workplace” in Boston Business Journal

November 8, 2024

Americans will likely remain highly divided over the outcome of the 2024 presidential election and may want to make their views known in the office. How can employers address political expression in the workplace?

Ray Ripple, who advises employers on how to best plan for situations of political expression in the workplace before it becomes a problem, and works with HR departments about what to do when such matters arise, spoke with the Boston Business Journal about the issue.

Ray said that at a private workplace, employees don’t have a First Amendment right to express political views at work. Private employers can create a policy restricting the display of political memorabilia in the workplace as long as they do it “in a uniform way.” However, he cautioned, “it’s a bit of a slippery slope” to ban all political discussion or messages. “If you don’t already have a policy addressing a political expression in the workplace, it would be a good idea to consider one. Now is definitely the time to do that,” he said.

Continue reading “Boston lawyer talks how to address political expression in the workplace” on the Boston Business Journal website (subscription required).