An employee communications template for addressing post-election unease

As the final results of the 2024 US Presidential Election came in, a seeming win for Trump of the most contentious American election yet means that roughly half of voters are disappointed. Whether your workforce skews blue, red or purple, all employees will share a sense of unease, anxiety and stress until the dust settles. Many will for the foreseeable future, too.

While some leaders choose to stay silent during this period, those who understand how to communicate in times of ambiguity reclaim an opportunity to strengthen trust with employees while reinforcing values and redirecting focus to their organization’s big picture.

Integral’s latest research found that the younger employees are, the more they want to express their political views in the workplace. It also found that senior leaders are more comfortable having political dialogue than other levels of managers—and more concerned about political tension, too.

Those insights suggest an opportunity for  communicators and leaders alike to set expectations for respectful political discourse, acknowledge, align and assure employees amid uncertainty, and unite the workforce  around a shared mission.

“This election is a historic moment for businesses and society alike,” Golin Global President of Corporate Affairs Megan Noel told Ragan.

“Communicators considering a post-election communication should be prepared for heightened emotions and various reactions to the outcome. Avoid speculating about the potential impact of the election results, especially prior to any official decisions being made.”

Noel recommends that all post-election communications reinforce five things:

1. The importance of civic engagement and respect for the democratic process. While that’s normally been positioned ahead of election day, keeping that message alive matters now more than ever.
2. Commitment to your purpose and values “that guide [your company’s] behaviors and actions, such as integrity, respect, care, and inclusivity.”
3. Support for employees, customers and communities regardless of political affiliation or stance. This should explicitly mention “the permission to not engage in political discussion, especially during the immediate days following the election.”
4. Company benefits that support mental and physical wellbeing, “including access to resources and tools as well as inclusion networks/ERGs gatherings.”
5. Safety and security measures in place at any office locations close to polling places, demonstration sites or campaign HQs. “This will be important should demonstrations or protests break out.”

Reinforcing these messages consistently also requires tweaking them as employee sentiment evolves. “Communicators should continuously monitor conversations and dialogues that may impact their companies and brands and use that information to correct, adjust or inform key audiences as needed,” Noel added.

Putting it all together

During Ragan’s Internal Communications Conference at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, WA last month, Microsoft Director of Employee & Executive Communications and Employer Brand Amy Morris, and Senior Manager of Communications and Reputation Management Sarah Shahrabani, showed how Microsoft’s values plug into a communication framework to help the matrixed comms function manage political discourse across internal channels.

They also emphasized the importance of having messages of unity come from leaders as another mechanism for reinforcing trust, while Morris explained how her team prepares leaders with pre-vetted talking points that emphasize Microsoft’s values and equip the leaders to address timely, topical issues as they emerge.

Similarly, Noel’s recommendations serve as smart reputational guideposts for any leader, or communicator crafting messages on a leader’s behalf, to follow.

Applying her five post-election points to an employee message looks something like this:

Got any other tips for executive messages that acknowledge, align and assure employees during moments of unease? Let us know in the comments below.

Join us next week for post-election therapy as we look to 2025 and beyond at Ragan’s Future of Communications Conference.

Justin Joffe is the editorial director and editor-in-chief at Ragan Communications.  Follow him on LinkedIn.