Corporations avoiding politics during 'most toxic presidential campaign in modern history'

The 2020 presidential election went down in history as one of the most bitter and divisive in U.S. history, and the 2024 race isn't expected to be any calmer.

According to Wall Street Journal reporters Chip Cutter and Ray A. Smith, some major corporations are responding to the polarizing election by not saying about it publicly and trying to keep their employees calm.

"In the midst of what many expect to be the most toxic presidential campaign in modern history," the WSJ journalists explain in an article published on May 10, "American businesses are going to extraordinary lengths to stay off the political radar. Some CEOs are privately drawing up plans to tell employees not to expect comments on political matters in all-hands sessions. Others are reconsidering common election initiatives, such as get-out-the-vote drives, fearing those could be viewed in the current moment as partisan."

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One of those corporations is Cisco Systems.

Francine Katsoudas, a human resources exec at Cisco, told the WSJ, "We’ve seen how emotional politics leading up to an election can be. (What) I would say to a leader is, 'Be there to support your people.' I don't think it's wise for us to encourage some of the debate because it is just so personal."

Evan Smith, CEO of the tech startup Altana, said he plans to avoid politics altogether in company meetings.

Smith told WSJ, "The workplace is not the forum for working out all the political issues of the country or the world. We have a mission. And everyone is at will, signed up to make the mission happen."

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WeBuyHouses.com CEO Jeremy Brandt publicly talked about the 2016 election but plans to avoid making political comments during meetings this election year.

Brandt told WSJ, "I love to talk about politics, but if somebody doesn't want to talk about these topics, they should never have to talk about them — ever — in the workplace."

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Read the Wall Street Journal's full report at this link (subscription required).