Work and politics question

[luckyval]

Let me preface by saying that I work in government for a very small municipality.

The mayor (who is, by all accounts, my boss) and I have a good rapport. And, as of late, he has brought up politics with me because he knows I'm liberal.

He, as you might guess, is not.

We've had a couple friendly, non-heated discussions about national and state politics, but I've kept my comments pretty restrained.

Well, last night, he emailed me one of these completely idiotic Democrat-bashing chain emails with just a wink icon in his comments.

I know he thought it was a joke, but I almost want to send something in return, partly because I want to show him I can take it and dole it out as well, partly to kind of put him iin his place (hopefully the Nov. election will do that better than I ever could)

Again, he likes my work, I know I'm a good employee and we've been professional friends for a couple years now before I started working for him this past spring.

DH said I should just not respond, but it's reeeeeally tempting.

Should I send something back to him or bite my tongue?

[cookiemdough]

Bite your tongue

[ECB]

Bite your tongue. He is your superior. He wants to have fun w/ you, but if you take it too far, he might get pissed and it could have other consequences. I wouldn't push it.

[ECB]

And to add, I wouldn't put any of my comments/"jokes" in email (i.e. "print"). Keep it all verbal.

[luckyval]

You're right about that ECB. He can be on the bipolar side, so there's no tellling what will set him off

grrr, ok. I'll keep a lid on it

[copzgirl1171]

I am in a gov't position and I can't tell you how many butt ends of jokes I have been on or things that have been said to me and I have to walk away.

Hell, I even go through a huge gut check putting presidential election signs in my yard.

It shouldn't be this way and they have no right but I do still err on the side of caution

[Deleted]

He's probably just trying to see if he can get a reaction out of you. I wouldn't do anything to indicate that you even saw the email.

[copzgirl1171]

You know it should be that easy SBP and I wish it was.

The fear that your political affiliation can be used against you is something I fight down all the time. I am the ONLY liberal democrat in my office and probably close to the only one in the whole of my county who hold jobs.

I often wonder if I could win a legal battle if my political leanings were ever held against me as a reason for being fired.

[luckyval]

Sept 20, 2012 8:30:00 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Send him one of these.

dscc.org/ocsticker?donate_page_KEY=15300

hehe, can I put this sticker on the back of his chair on Nov. 7?

Kidding, kidding

[Melissa W.]

I would proceed with extreme caution because in my town there have been lawsuits for less.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Sept 20, 2012 8:37:50 GMT -5 @copzgirl1171 said:

You know it should be that easy SBP and I wish it was.

The fear that your political affiliation can be used against you is something I fight down all the time. I am the ONLY liberal democrat in my office and probably close to the only one in the whole of my county who hold jobs.

I often wonder if I could win a legal battle if my political leanings were ever held against me as a reason for being fired.

Do you have a state law or local ordinance protecting political affiliation?

[copzgirl1171]

Sept 20, 2012 9:30:27 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

Sept 20, 2012 8:37:50 GMT -5 @copzgirl1171 said:

You know it should be that easy SBP and I wish it was.

The fear that your political affiliation can be used against you is something I fight down all the time. I am the ONLY liberal democrat in my office and probably close to the only one in the whole of my county who hold jobs.

I often wonder if I could win a legal battle if my political leanings were ever held against me as a reason for being fired.

Do you have a state law or local ordinance protecting political affiliation?

I am not sure. I am an at will employee and always assumed it didn't matter.

[copzgirl1171]

Sept 20, 2012 9:36:32 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Sept 20, 2012 9:31:53 GMT -5 @copzgirl1171 said:

I am not sure. I am an at will employee and always assumed it didn't matter.

This is such an incredible misnomer about at-will employment situations. Momi can fix whatever I inevitably misstate here. Being "at-will" means that your employer can fire your without cause. It does NOT mean that your employer can fire you in violation of local or federal law.

I should clarify. At will/fiduciary employee

[laurenpetro]

i would tell him you're donating a dollar to the obama campaign every time he sends you one of those emails. with a wink, of course.

[teflep]

You are in the wrong field. Try being in education and NOT being a liberal democrat. I always bite my tongue. But, I also don't find it appropriate to discuss politics in the workplace unless it is directly related to ones profession (ie, we talk esea all the time; we don't discuss politics in a general sense, though).