Politics in Pay Check Stuffers

bamahr · August 2003

Here is my dilema - one of the Owners of the company I work for wants to include information in paychecks about the Proposed Alabama Tax Change that is up for a vote in September. He would like to include a chart showing the effect on State/Federal Income and Property Tax. I am not sure how I feel about putting this information in the checks. Anything legal I need to be concerned with - he claims the information will come from the owners and will not state their own decision on the ammendment?

Parabeagle1 · August 2003

What is the source of the information? Is it an information pamphlet prepared by a nonpartisan group that merely lays out the provisions or does it take a position with regard to its passage? Would an employee PERCEIVE that the owners were adopting one position or another? I think there is only one state (District of Columbia) that has specific provisions regarding political affiliation and I know that Alabama does not have any comprehensive fair employment practices statutes, so technically it's probably ok to include it.

As a practical matter, though, I wouldn't. I prefer to keep things as unbiased as possible when it comes to employee communication and probably wouldn't distribute the information you describe unless/until it becomes law. In fact, my company's ethics policy specifically prohibits the dissemination of political information if such dissemination would imply endorsement by the company.

Balloonman · August 2003

I do things like that all the time. Same issue, an organization that we are part of is politically active, goes towards our company values and culture. We view it as employee education.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

mwild31 · August 2003

I too do this all the time. In some cases I state what we as the company will endorse and others I just simply include the pamphlets, etc. from the state or agency. I do usually keep it to taxes, legal happenings as it relates to the company and/or other employee issues and I avoid all others.

bamahr · August 2003

The information would come from a brochure that is being passed out at TownHall Meetings the Governor is holding. I have mixed feelings - if the material is distributed in a non-biased way it could be educational. We shall see how it is worded in a few days - this should be interesting.

Politics in Pay Check Stuffers

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