Can employers prohibit political displays at work (e.g., buttons, signs, posters)?
An employer can implement dress code policies that prohibit employees from displaying political items at work, such as buttons, pins, hats, and other campaign paraphernalia, so long as the employer evenhandedly prohibits the display of all forms of non–business-related items. An employer may want to prohibit employees from wearing paraphernalia at work, or using the employer’s computer or email systems for political purposes, in order to avoid the appearance that the employer adopts an employee’s political views. However, under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”), employees have the right to display labor union insignia at work. Thus, an employee cannot be disciplined for wearing a union button that contains a political message (e.g., “Teamsters for Obama”) because the political message is likely outweighed by the protected union display. Regulating and restricting political displays and expression at work does not mean that employers must sanitize the workplace from politics. Em
