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ER and Political Candidates

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An employer is asking all of the employees to volunteer 4 hrs to a particular candidate that he favors. Employer is forcing all the employees to sign a form indicating whether or not they will be participating in this. If they do participate the employer will pay them $100 and if they do not participate, they fear retaliation. Is this legal? I was under the impression that political affiliation and employment are to be kept separate.

There is no federal law that prohibits this behavior by an employer, although many companies or professional organizations have policies against this type of political pressure.

This conduct will strike many people as unsavory, but it may not be illegal. It would be illegal if this employer was expecting city or county employees to campaign or work for a candidate while on the clock.

It’s not clear from the “ER” in the title if this refers to a situation in a hospital Emergency Room or not. If this is happening at a hospital, the hospital itself may have rules that would prohibit such actions.

Some states and municipalities have laws that prevent this type of pressure at work. In some cases, they prohibit employers from discriminating against workers based on party membership or political views. In other cases, employers are not permitted to discriminate against workers based on any legal conduct that takes place away from work.

In some locations it is routine for employers to expect city and county workers to volunteer on their free time for the political organization. In Chicago, for example, many city and county employees in the past have essentially been political appointees who got their jobs through their connection to the Democratic party. These employees were expected to campaign for the party in each election.

Please post another question mentioning your state for a more specific answer.