Fewer people want their employers or companies to speak publicly about current events, a reversal from just a few years ago. This comes amid heightened political tensions in the U.S. as a presidential election looms and polarization grows.
About 38% of U.S. adults believe companies should speak out publicly about current events, down from 48% in 2022, according to a Gallup poll of about 6,000 respondents conducted this spring.
“It's not that we don't want companies to do the right thing or take the right stance, but I think people are getting a little tired of hearing about politics in every aspect of their lives,” said Sam Caplan, vice president of philanthropy at the philanthropy platform SubmitTable.
While companies have historically remained silent on current events, a major shift occurred in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and racial justice movements. After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, many companies took public stances, including offering benefits to workers who live in states where abortion is now illegal.
Now the pendulum appears to have swung the other way. “They're in this really strange position of having to be very careful about how they talk about the work that they're doing,” Kaplan said.
However, it is important to note that survey participants did not feel the same way. all Current events. More than half of respondents said they would like to continue hearing from companies on topics related to climate change, mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion, or corporate social responsibility.
Far fewer people said they wanted companies to take positions on key issues during the presidential campaign, such as gun control, immigration, international conflict, abortion or the candidates themselves.
DEI has come under particular criticism recently in the wake of the rollback of affirmative action, leaving employers scrambling to figure out how to move their programs forward. An increase in lawsuits alleging workplace discrimination and targeting other diversity hiring and training efforts has raised concerns about new legal risks.
“We live in an extremely polarized environment, and I don't think a lot of organizations feel equipped to have meaningful, nuanced and enriching conversations on these topics,” said Daniel Oppong, founder of College Collective, a DEI-focused consulting firm that has developed programs at companies including REI, HP, Nissan and General Mills.
“So I'm not sure that people have experienced these conversations in a way that's healthy and connected and leads to greater unity. I think most people have experienced these conversations in a way that leads to further division.”
Oppong said this dynamic is cyclical and the best approach is for companies to actually align with their values ​​by investing in and developing strong programs for the long term, rather than responding to current trends. He gave the example of Ben & Jerry's, which has a history of social activism that helps define its employment brand.
Companies can also demonstrate their values ​​by giving employees more options for the specific causes they want to support, Kaplan said, which could mean offering more paid time off to volunteer or matching donations to charity.
“I think companies go through these cyclical waves relatively frequently, so it's really about what your core values ​​are and how you live them, rather than being swayed by public opinion or public sentiment,” Opon said.