I must admit that I haven’t yet watched The Mandalorian. I’m a huge Star Wars fan and have seen all the movies (even read a bunch of the books in high school). But with a toddler, our TV time is limited to after she’s asleep, so it’s still on the to-be-watched list. I have been very intrigued, though, by Gina Carano being fired from the show. She’s described as an “outspoken conservative” and has shared some strong political opinions and controversial statements on social media, leading to a lot of negative backlash over the last few months. Ultimately, it led to her being fired. When work and beliefs collide, things don’t always turn out well.
Even if you’re just mildly familiar with Disney or Lucasfilm, you know that they aren’t considered politically conservative companies. They’re also going to be very mindful of appealing to their customers. If there’s a lot of negative backlash that could harm their reputation or their revenue stream, they’re going to take action.
(Now, before we go further, I want to be clear that this is about the concept of working at an organization that has different views than you do. This is not in support of Disney or in support of Carano. I’m sure there are a lot of strong opinions about whether Carano was treated fairly, how much cancel culture is happening here, and whether conservatives and liberals experience the same treatment. Those topics are outside the realm of this post.)
Moving on – we’re going to focus on the concept of working at an organization that has different views than you do. Because this can happen very easily to any of us. We as individuals have our own values and beliefs. Each organization (large or small) has its own culture and values.
It’s important to understand what those similarities and differences are. We might like to think that we can work wherever we want and still be able to say whatever we want about personal beliefs (at work and on social media). But here’s the reality – that’s not how things work. Sometimes, it’s not a big deal to have some minor differing beliefs. Other times, though, you might have beliefs very important to you that are more in opposition to those of the organization where you work (or want to work).
What happens when you work for an organization that has very different views than you do? Should you work there? When does it start to matter? What risks do you run?
Should You Work There?
When you’re looking for a job, the values of an organization may not seem important at first – especially if you’re desperate for a job. The same can be true if you’re offered the job of a lifetime. And, in all actuality, a difference of values may not be a big deal. The differences could be really minor, or you might be able to work around them.
My first full-time HR job was at a conservative church in Atlanta. I knew that some of my personal beliefs differed from theirs, but I also knew I’d be on the business side. I wasn’t in a ministerial job where I’d be talking about my beliefs or teaching others. To me, it felt like the right opportunity to take. I could learn a lot and finally have my first HR job while remaining true to myself – just in a way that stayed below the radar. For me, that was okay.
In other cases, a difference of values could really matter. If you’re going to work for an organization that champions a cause that you strongly disagree with, take some time to think about whether that’s truly a good fit. Will you be able to do your job well and be a healthy member of the organization? If all you’ll do is spark disagreements and create contention, your employment won’t last long. This may be a tough realization – but it really doesn’t matter whether you think you’re “right.” It’s not about who’s right and who’s wrong. An organization is who it is. Think about it like a relationship – you can’t go into it to change the other person. And any organization is going to care about its reputation and accomplishing its goals.
(If there are aspects of your workplace culture you do want to change, check out these practical steps to changing workplace culture.)
Bottom line – it’s probably not a good idea to work at an organization whose views you strongly disagree with. If you want to be outspoken about personal beliefs (especially if they could be controversial in some way), consider working at an organization that aligns with your views. It’s the best way to have an enjoyable employment experience.
When Does It Start to Matter?
Organizations are not supposed to discriminate based on religion (churches can be an exception, as can some religious nonprofits), and the best organizations won’t discriminate based on political beliefs or any other personal viewpoint. That said, when beliefs start to negatively affect the workplace or an organization’s reputation, it can quickly become a performance issue.
When I worked at Wellstar, we had an employee who believed strongly that marijuana should be legal. He wanted to talk about it at work, have stickers on his cubicle – everything. Now, had this remained part of his personal life, it wouldn’t have been an issue. However, he brought it into the workplace, so it became our issue. As a healthcare company, we had a very strong drug-free workplace policy. Plus, his conversations made some of his colleagues uncomfortable. So, we asked him to stop discussing this at work and explained that he couldn’t display marijuana-related items at his desk because of our stance on drugs.
Again, keep in mind, this isn’t about “right” and “wrong” beliefs. The reality is that, if you bring a personal belief into the workplace, it might matter to the organization. If you post something on social media that could negatively reflect on the organization, that’s going to matter as well. It really depends on what your belief is, how you communicate about it, and how much it negatively affects others. If it’s not very controversial, you communicate respectfully, and no one is uncomfortable, it’ll probably go unnoticed. However, if it’s in opposition to the organization’s values or policies, that could be more of an issue. If it makes others at work uncomfortable (employees or customers), that’s going to be a big issue.
What Risks Do You Run?
I’m sure you can guess the answer to this question – yes, you run the risk of getting fired. If you’re outspoken about something that negatively affects the workplace or the organization, you could lose your job. Leaders (and HR departments) don’t like messy situations. If your words or actions create a big mess that others have to clean up, that’s not good. You might get a second chance, but probably not much more than that.
If your conduct negatively affects your department or the workplace in some way, that easily becomes a performance issue. It’s not about taking action against you because you have a certain belief (at least, it shouldn’t be) – it’s about taking action against the harm you’re doing in the workplace. And that is a performance issue.
Most organizations I know of also have a line in their discipline policies regarding “acts that reflect unfavorably upon the organization.” So, even if your colleagues are okay, you could be facing a performance issue if your conduct negatively affects the reputation or revenue of the organization. This doesn’t mean you can’t do it – it’s always your choice. But you should know that it’s risky.
Tread Carefully
When work and beliefs collide, it can lead to a stressful employment situation. You feel like you’re always fighting against the organization and on the brink of getting fired. And believe me – leaders and organizations don’t like this either. It’s not enjoyable for anyone. Advice from me to you – think very carefully about working at an organization that has very different values than you do. Especially if you want to be outspoken about them. Instead, work for an organization that has similar values – or at least doesn’t have opposing values. You’ll get to stay true to yourself and will be much happier!
Photo credit: By Kesu01 / Canva
