'Toxic turn' | Backlash as former 'best company' vetoes politics chat at work

Politics is a divisive subject to broach in any conversation, however, is banning all political conversation at work ethical, and does such a move detrimentally affect culture?

This is the debate that has sprung up around the news that US-based software firm Basecamp - a former Forbes best company - has issued new employee guidelines which effectively prevent workers from discussing politics on company forums.

The decision to follow in the footsteps of fellow tech start-up Coinbase in banning political talk was made by Basecamp Co-Founders Jason Fried and David Hansson, who issued a company-wide memo explaining the logic behind the move.

“Today’s societal and political waters are especially choppy... and every discussion remotely related to politics, advocacy or society at large quickly spins away from pleasant,” the memo, seen by Techstory, read.