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job offers contingent on political contributions?

 
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I just noticed this on a job posting. Company name removed.

This position may be subject to ****** Political Contribution Policy. An offer of employment may be contingent upon disclosing to ****** the details of certain political contributions. ****** may decline to extend an offer or terminate employment for this role if it determines political contributions made could have an adverse impact on ****** current or future business interests, misrepresentations were made, or for failure to fully disclose applicable political contributions and or fundraising activities.



I've never noticed anything like this before. Is this becoming the norm? How can they legally use your political contributions to determine employment eligibility?

btw, this is not a government job. The company in question is an insurance company.
 
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J. Kevin Robbins wrote:I've never noticed anything like this before. Is this becoming the norm? How can they legally use your political contributions to determine employment eligibility?



If it's a government regulated company (as insurance companies are) there may be laws preventing their employees from making certain types of political donations. If not, political affiliation isn't a protected class, at least in the US.

Cheers!

Luke
 
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A Very Large company in my town has its own PAC and apparently, employees are expected to "voluntarily" donate to this PAC. I suppose that a company could go one step further and insist on the right to refuse people who had contributed or otherwise worked against their interests.

However, that's a dangerous thing to do in the USA where interfering with elections is taken very seriously and people have sued employers over such matters, even when the employer was a political party.

The wording of that ad is especially troublesome, since it doesn't mention legal entailments, just the right to refuse/terminate you if they decide your "political speech" isn't aligned with their business interests. Smells of corruption.
 
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Tim Holloway wrote:
The wording of that ad is especially troublesome, since it doesn't mention legal entailments, just the right to refuse/terminate you if they decide your "political speech" isn't aligned with their business interests. Smells of corruption.


Which is why I find it disturbing. My employer doesn't need to know about my political affiliations. I don't think I could work for a company with this policy. I browse a lot of job sites, and this is the first time I've seen something like this.
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if any number of businesses require employees not to engage in behavior deemed potentially harmful to the company. Like membership in organizations that work against what the company does. This takes it a problematic step further, though, as contributions to some political organization would likely be indicative of voting behavior - which is supposed to be secret. It's hard to say without knowing what "certain political contributions" are, exactly.
 
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J. Kevin Robbins wrote:
Which is why I find it disturbing. My employer doesn't need to know about my political affiliations. I don't think I could work for a company with this policy. I browse a lot of job sites, and this is the first time I've seen something like this.



It is actually (in a weird way) good that they do this with the job announcement (barring legality issues, of course). I too, would find it kinda disturbing. And it is much easier to learn about it much earlier, than to waste my time going though interviews, and learning about the requirement later.

Henry
 
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This feels like it should be illegal, but I suspect it is not. This is the reason I am opposed to the idea of a paper "receipt" for your vote. Because your employer could demand you show it.

When voting went to touch screen some people were suggesting a paper trail to guarantee integrity.
 
Tim Moores
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Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:This is the reason I am opposed to the idea of a paper "receipt" for your vote. Because your employer could demand you show it.



There are clever, if maybe impractical as presented, ways around this that produce a verifiable paper trail that can not be used to prove who you voted for: ThreeBallot
 
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Tim Moores wrote:

Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:This is the reason I am opposed to the idea of a paper "receipt" for your vote. Because your employer could demand you show it.



There are clever, if maybe impractical as presented, ways around this that produce a verifiable paper trail that can not be used to prove who you voted for: ThreeBallot


Cool!
 
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Tim Moores wrote:This takes it a problematic step further, though, as contributions to some political organization would likely be indicative of voting behavior - which is supposed to be secret.



It's as indicative of voting behavior as speech. You are guaranteed a secret ballot, but if you choose to breach that secrecy by public expressions (such as speech, an election sign, volunteering or donating) that's your choice and isn't protected at all.

Cheers!

Luke
 
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