Some do protest on company dime
Most companies with similar policies are relatively small and nimble, with largely liberal workforces. Traction has about 50 employees. Two other San Francisco companies that offer paid leave for political action, Fauna and Buoyant, have 14 and 10 employees, respectively.
But big corporations like Facebook, with thousands of employees of varied backgrounds and political views, may be entertaining a similar change: It told employees they could use paid leave time to attend pro-immigrant May Day demonstrations.
Several executives said the election underscored what they see as a need for greater civic engagement. About 60 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2016, according to the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida. California law mandates up to two hours of paid time off to vote for those who can’t otherwise get to the polls.
Though more than threequarters of companies do little to encourage employees to vote, according to a 2016 survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, 86 percent of organizations allow their employees time off to cast a ballot — more than half of them are required to by state law.
By allowing employees to volunteer at polls, go to a protest, register others to vote or canvass for a candidate of their choice, executives said, companies may be able to help nudge the country into being more politically engaged.
“Activism and civic engagement are on the rise, and people sometimes have to choose between their jobs and focusing on their careers and doing something they’re passionate about,” said Amna Pervez, the director of recruiting and retention for data-management firm Fauna. “We should not only allow, but encourage, members of our team to do that without worrying that they’re risking their career. We want our employees to participate in the political process. This is important.”
Kleinberg, who announced his company’s new policy online last month, learned that though the wording of his company’s policy states that employees can use the time to support or oppose any cause or candidate — regardless of political affiliation — not everyone appreciates the message he’s trying to send.
Companies offering paid leave for political action have incurred an intense backlash — particularly among those who believe that most protesters at hostile town hall meetings and protests that pack city streets are being paid to be there by wealthy liberal elites. (Fact check: They’re not.)
“People were wishing that I was dropped off in an (Islamic State) territory, calling me an idiotic libtard, candy-ass, saying they hope we’ll go out of business. Really nasty stuff,” Kleinberg said. “We’re in marketing, so we talk all the time about making an emotional connection with people. And once we announced (the policy change) it became clear that we struck a powder keg.”
A plague of 1-star reviews began cropping up on Traction’s Facebook page from people who had never worked with the firm, decrying the company’s left-leaning leadership and alleging anti-Trump propaganda. Hashtags urging others to boycott the company started to circulate.
“I was certainly motivated because I think Trump is a man with dangerous ideas and low moral character, but I also didn’t want to be a hypocrite and prevent people from expressing whatever political views they may hold,” he said. “Through organized protest, citizens have the ability to apply pressure when laws or government bodies are not really applying the will of the people to the legislation they put forth.”
Kleinberg said he and his colleagues have taken the criticism in stride.
Last week, Traction began selling T-shirts, mugs and buttons with the message: “Boycott Traction #candyasses.” All proceeds from the sales will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union.
The ability to offer paid time off for political action is a privilege that not all workers — or companies — can afford. Hourly and low-wage workers generally have less flexible leave time and may not be able to take time off unless the business itself shuts down in honor of a day of action, like many did for the recent Day Without Immigrants.
People who are arrested during protests and demonstrations are increasingly logged in the FBI database, which contains a file on nearly 1 in 3 American adults, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. That record could jeopardize future employment even if the detention does not result in criminal charges.
Among Bay Area businesses and tech companies locked in a benefits arms race aimed at attracting top talent in an increasingly competitive market, said William Morgan, CEO and founder of cloud-infrastructure startup Buoyant, this perk may have potential to spread. Or, at least, he hopes it does. “It’s not sufficient anymore to say we’re a profit engine and we’re making money and screw everything else. It’s part of our responsibility to be engaged, to be active,” said Morgan, whose company offers about three to four weeks of paid time off to its workers, who can use that time for anything from political activities to vacations. “We as individuals, we as companies exist in an ecosystem. We’re only here because there’s this environment around us. It can’t just be a one-way relationship.”