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Hey Everyone!,
Sports Talks
Should They Be Banned
In Offices ?
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The vast majority of companies place a large premium on creating an inclusive environment in which all employees feel welcomed and comfortable.
This is an admirable and lofty goal, as achieving it is not always easy. There is an array of big issues and everyday occurrences that need to be discussed.
On BBC Radio 4’s Today, guest Ann Francke, the CEO of United Kingdom-based Chartered Management Institute, which offers services relative to human resources issues (including talent management, employee engagement and managing change), asserted that discussing soccer, cricket and other sports in the workplace have led to women feeling left out at the office.
On BBC Radio 4’s Today, guest Ann Francke, the CEO of United Kingdom-based Chartered Management Institute, which offers services relative to human resources issues (including talent management, employee engagement and managing change), asserted that discussing soccer, cricket and other sports in the workplace have led to women feeling left out at the office.
She claimed that the constant chatter about sports ultimately leads to locker-room banter. This, in turn, can create an uncomfortable climate, as the male employees start “slapping each other on the back and talking about their conquests [on] the weekend.”
Francke did not demand a boycott of sports talk, but thought it prudent to discourage and tamp down on these conversations and make an attempt to push for more inclusive talk. A lively debate erupted in which some people considered these remarks sexist, considering that many women enjoy participating in or spectating sports and discussing it at the office.
Some people fear that this type of idea furthers the “cancel culture” trend. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to a form of boycott in which a person, celebrity, television show or movie is deemed offensive and a mob mentality pushes to shut it down.
Concerns were raised that limiting speech at work becomes a slippery slope. It's no secret that, in these politically charged times, some people are self-censoring themselves over concerns that they may lose a job or become ostracized. Others openly espouse their views, which alienates and offends the people around them.
Some people fear that this type of idea furthers the “cancel culture” trend. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to a form of boycott in which a person, celebrity, television show or movie is deemed offensive and a mob mentality pushes to shut it down.
Concerns were raised that limiting speech at work becomes a slippery slope. It's no secret that, in these politically charged times, some people are self-censoring themselves over concerns that they may lose a job or become ostracized. Others openly espouse their views, which alienates and offends the people around them.
Bev Shah, the founder and CEO of City Hive, a self-described network for change, says “water-cooler moments” discussing a variety of interests helps enhance a company’s culture and fosters working relationships. She added, “There should be a cultural contract in the workplace where colleagues are mindful of the intensity, volume and duration of the conversations they are having—this goes for any topic.”
Sports journalist Jacqui Oatley said it would be a “terrible idea” to crack down on office sports talk. She told the Today program, “If you ban football [American soccer] chat or banter of any description, then all you’re going to do is alienate the people who actually want to communicate with each other.” Oatley added, “It would be so, so negative to tell people not to talk about sports because girls don’t like it or women don’t like it, that’s far more divisive.”
The questions arise as to what types of conversations should be policed—if any. If married people discuss their children, will that make single employees or those who don’t—or can’t—have kids feel isolated? If politics, religion or the economy is raised, will that set off red flags and create ill will?
This becomes a very delicate subject with serious ramifications. If free speech is limited or clamped down upon, employees will feel insulted and angry that their opinions are silenced. In today’s politically charged environment, some people are afraid to offer their thoughts and opinions out of fear of retaliation or harsh judgement. If too much free speech is permitted, workers can feel targeted if they are in the minority. Either way, it may create a toxic culture and alienate a segment of the workforce.
It could be a Herculean task for management and human resources to set restrictive guidelines of what can be said and what’s not deemed permissible to talk about. By trying to be inclusive, it may have unintended consequences.
Francke said, "They don't follow those sports and they don't like either being forced to talk about them or not being included."
Francke said, "They don't follow those sports and they don't like either being forced to talk about them or not being included."
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Sameer
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