Corporate America is sitting out the Trump-Biden rematch

livemint.com:

What election? In the midst of what many expect to be the most toxic presidential campaign in modern history, American businesses are going to extraordinary lengths to stay off the political radar. Some CEOs are privately drawing up plans to tell employees not to expect comments on political matters in all-hands sessions. Others are reconsidering common election initiatives, such as get-out-the-vote drives, fearing those could be viewed in the current moment as partisan.

A number of companies are also taking a harder line on workplace activism after long tolerating dissent. In a recent memo following protests by employees over the war in Gaza, Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said he didn’t want the company to “fight over disruptive issues or debate politics," noting that, ultimately, “we are a workplace." The company fired dozens of employees for disruptive activity in its offices as they protested Google’s contracts with Israel. Executives are coaching managers to lower the temperature.

At Cisco Systems, the company’s top human-resources executive, Francine Katsoudas, plans to advise managers in the months ahead to be aware that employees will be experiencing a swirl of feelings tied to the election. “We’ve seen how emotional politics leading up to an election can be," she said. What “I would say to a leader is, ‘Be there to support your people.’ I don’t think it’s wise for us to encourage some of the debate because it is just so personal." The approach to this year’s presidential race is a stark reversal for many employers.