Spinoff: Would you participate in a public protest while job hunting?

[Grosgrain]

I am currently job hunting.  Had a great interview this morning, in fact.  I am also planning on participating in the women's march in my city this Saturday.  Now I am wondering if there may be repercussions to doing so.  I live in a small-ish city in a blue state, so it is likely that potential employers would be on the same political spectrum - but there is always the possibility that they may not.

And, no, I do not intend to do anything crazy at the march - no bra burning or otherwise drawing attention to myself.  I'm a pretty unassuming person in general and have never protested anything in person, but the election of Trump has galvanized me to be more participatory in the issues that matter to me.  I will carry a non-vulgar sign and avoid being interviewed by any local news crews.  However, there is always the possibility I could be photographed/filmed.

Thoughts? 

[CheapskateWife]

I would, given the parameters you described.  No pussy hats or vulgar signs of course...just being a part of the voice standing up for what you believe in.

If you do get confronted, a simple response to a potential interviewer could be simply "I believe its important to stand up for my principles."

[Paul der Krake]

The odds of this coming back to bite you are incredibly small. No company is monitoring the news and social media to find "dirt" from one particular event on their prospective employees.

[Gimesalot]

I'm attending the protests this weekend even though I am dealing with the BS at work.  My principles are more important than my job.

[BlueHouse]

I'm in the middle of a clearance renewal investigation.  Not the greatest timing, but then again, I really feel like this might be the most important time ever to stand up for what I believe.  Remember also, the women's march is about stating what you support as a woman, citizen (or resident) and a voter.  Don't focus on the protest angle -- focus on the women's rights part.  At least that's what I've been telling myself. 

Also google the Hatch Act.  It applies to govt employees, but so what...I'll pull that out and throw that in anyone's face to show them that these activities are federally protected for feds, so they should apply the same standard to me. 

[triangle]

I do not believe incoming president Trump (or any other single elected official) is a threat to anyones liberty. At least not until congress and the judiciary allows the president to act as king which unfortunately is where we are heading ever so slowly with each administration. Personally I wish more people would see the potential negative affects of having their opposition political party in power as a reason to limit the powers that we give Washington DC politicians to control our lives.

To address your question, it is hard to see how a respectful and peaceful protest would interfere with your potential job prospects...it certainly should not unless your position is related to interacting with people in a political way (e.g. a legal professional).  That said, I understand your concern that your potential employer sees you participating in an event that they personally oppose. With no more information to assess I would agree that this possibility is very small and should be overlooked to follow your passion and express yourself in the march.

Good luck with your job hunt.

[Metric Mouse]

I wouldn't worry about it.

[Cranky]

We went to a lot of civil rights and peace marches when I was growing up in the 60's. My mom worried about my dad's security clearance so she had a red wig that she wore just for protests. In retrospect, that was pretty funny!

[Pigeon]

If my participation in a peaceful weekend protest of the sort you describe would make a potential employer not offer me a job, I doubt that this would be an employer I'd be interested in having.  Obviously, if you are without a job and need to get one ASAP, that changes the equation.

[Guesl982374]

I wouldn't worry about it.

+1

Probability is extremely small of it even being noticed. Just don't posted anything on your facebook or other social media.

[seattlecyclone]

I'm not very interested in working for a company that would try and restrict my off-the-clock behavior in that manner, so if a company would be so petty as to refuse employment for participation in such a thing it's probably for the best that I not work there.

[RosieTR]

I do not believe incoming president Trump (or any other single elected official) is a threat to anyones liberty.

Clearly the OP does, since she asked about it! (And clearly at least hundreds of thousands of other women feel this way, given the numbers anticipated at these marches.) Soapbox rants are fine but this seemed to me a unnecessary and could be seen as gaslighting. I don't think you meant it that way since you provided a nice answer to the question after.

To address the OP concern: agree with most of the responses, at this point. If it's a chilly area, you could wear a partial face mask (or if it's sunny, sunglasses) to obscure your face from recognition software if you're concerned. This is also a different ballgame if you already have a job vs interview, since it's easier for an employer to hide why you didn't get hired than why you were fired.

[Schaefer Light]

Participate in a protest or a riot? ;)

[Grosgrain]

Thanks for all your feedback!  My current job is in the private sector (IT), and I don't care whatsoever if they know about my participation in Saturday's march.  My concern is more around potential employers.  The organization I interviewed with yesterday is public.  I'm not sure how they feel about their employees visibly supporting a particular political position.  If they were to see news footage of me at the march and take issue with it, I doubt they're going to tell me.  I'm just not going to get the job.  Thankfully, since I am currently employed, no one will starve without my paycheck, but I am very motivated to find a new employer due to a toxic situation in my workplace.  And, in a relatively small market, well-paying IT jobs at my experience level are few and far between.  Just trying not to inadvertently torpedo my chances...

Ultimately, I agree that I probably don't want to work for a company or manager who would take issue with my participation, so I am planning on going tomorrow.  I think I will just do my best to stay under the radar.

[nemesis]

I guess if you feel the protest will make you feel better, and have some positive effect, and it's worth the potential risk to future career, then it's worth doing.

Personally, no I wouldn't participate in a public protest.  Mostly because I feel public protests most of the time do nothing.  I'd rather donate money to causes I care about, and try to be more of a role model for what I feel is right. 

Good luck to you.

PS: I'm not sure how a women's march could be seen in anyway as negative...but I probably don't understand enough about the march or what the messages are.

[Jakejake]

For me, it would depend how badly I needed the job. I might avoid it, to be honest - because the risk of losing a potential job might be small, but the odds of my participation in the protest bringing about measurable change seem smaller. (Saying this as someone who has participated in protests in the past!)

If your facebook page is full of political opinions, of course the participation in a protest won't matter at all - they'll see your politics there. You may want to give that a healthy scrub if you are job hunting (if you haven't already).

[triangle]

I do not believe incoming president Trump (or any other single elected official) is a threat to anyones liberty.

Clearly the OP does, since she asked about it! (And clearly at least hundreds of thousands of other women feel this way, given the numbers anticipated at these marches.) Soapbox rants are fine but this seemed to me a unnecessary and could be seen as gaslighting. I don't think you meant it that way since you provided a nice answer to the question after.

To address the OP concern: agree with most of the responses, at this point. If it's a chilly area, you could wear a partial face mask (or if it's sunny, sunglasses) to obscure your face from recognition software if you're concerned. This is also a different ballgame if you already have a job vs interview, since it's easier for an employer to hide why you didn't get hired than why you were fired.

My response was not intended as any sort of soapbox rant, just a statement to look at Trump's history and his style of communicating rather than assume the worse. He has been pro-life nearly all of his life, where the Roe-vs-Wade issue appears to be one of the biggest motivators of this weekends march (though not the only one). This is an issue that could have been moved out of the Supreme courts domain back into settled LAW years ago if politicians on both sides did not want it to remain unresolved in order to continually rev up their respective bases for votes. There is no certainty in the eventual outcome, but it is predictable how it will get resolved into law eventually once both Democrats and Republicans give it some focus. But all that is not the main issue for this thread, just an acknowledgement that politics can be messy and emotional.

I hope the person starting this thread felt free to express herself and gained a few friends in the march. And of course good luck with the job search.

[Bateaux]

Stay off social media and be cautious about your actions.   A local teacher was photographed shooting the bird finger at Trump Tower.  It's gone viral and some want her fired.

[BlueHouse]

I do not believe incoming president Trump (or any other single elected official) is a threat to anyones liberty. At least not until congress and the judiciary allows the president to act as king which unfortunately is where we are heading ever so slowly with each administration. Personally I wish more people would see the potential negative affects of having their opposition political party in power as a reason to limit the powers that we give Washington DC politicians to control our lives.

I'm getting a little bit sensitive about this sort of thing lately. (See bolded part above).  I wish people would realize their choice of language influences others.  These "Washington DC politicians" are not DC politicians.  They are YOUR North Carolina politicians that YOU and other voters sent to the Federal City. 

I wanted to vomit during the 60 Minutes episode where Paul Ryan swung his arm at the view outside his fancy Capitol window and stated that "this is the problem, this is Washington DC".  Uh, hello....he needs to look in the mirror and realize that he, along with just about every other representative in the Capitol building, is the problem.   Right now the attitude in the rest of the country is all about hating Washington, DC and they're associating their distaste for politics with the city.  This is the way the politicians that were elected by you and sent here by you, get you to forget that they are not the problems.  Want to clean up "Washington"?  Stop electing the same ass hat politicians.  (Sorry Triangle -- this last part is not aimed at you.  I just got a bit worked up!)

[RosieTR]

I do not believe incoming president Trump (or any other single elected official) is a threat to anyones liberty.

Clearly the OP does, since she asked about it! (And clearly at least hundreds of thousands of other women feel this way, given the numbers anticipated at these marches.) Soapbox rants are fine but this seemed to me a unnecessary and could be seen as gaslighting. I don't think you meant it that way since you provided a nice answer to the question after.

To address the OP concern: agree with most of the responses, at this point. If it's a chilly area, you could wear a partial face mask (or if it's sunny, sunglasses) to obscure your face from recognition software if you're concerned. This is also a different ballgame if you already have a job vs interview, since it's easier for an employer to hide why you didn't get hired than why you were fired.

You need to check your local laws on masks before doing this, it's illegal in my city to wear masks during protests.

Interesting, I did not know that nor any laws in my state regarding that. I was thinking if it was well below freezing, I'd be inclined to wear a balaclava but if that situation comes up I'll check the legality. Sunglasses or other glasses are probably better for being obscured on camera, and wearing a hat and sunglasses would probably mean someone would have to comb through footage to recognize a person. I'd guess that there were enough people that this didn't ultimately cause a problem for the OP. Personally, I often go right ahead and wear my pussy hat to work (like any other warm hat) but it's very different if you're already hired than if looking.

[Metric Mouse]

Interesting, I did not know that nor any laws in my state regarding that. I was thinking if it was well below freezing, I'd be inclined to wear a balaclava but if that situation comes up I'll check the legality. Sunglasses or other glasses are probably better for being obscured on camera, and wearing a hat and sunglasses would probably mean someone would have to comb through footage to recognize a person. I'd guess that there were enough people that this didn't ultimately cause a problem for the OP. Personally, I often go right ahead and wear my pussy hat to work (like any other warm hat) but it's very different if you're already hired than if looking.

Yes, do check your local laws. Two men were just arrested in WI and charged with 'wearing a mask while parading.'  To be fair, they're lucky to be alive after their interaction with police, but if that's a reason for the cops to arrest someone, they will use it.

[JCfire]

If there is a potential employer who would decide not to hire me simply because I have political views that aren't identical to theirs, I wouldn't want to work for them.  Likewise if there is a potential employer who would decide not to hire me because I exercise my rights to free speech and assembly on my own time, I wouldn't want to work for them.

[sokoloff]

If there is a potential employer who would decide not to hire me simply because I have political views that aren't identical to theirs, I wouldn't want to work for them.  Likewise if there is a potential employer who would decide not to hire me because I exercise my rights to free speech and assembly on my own time, I wouldn't want to work for them.

+1

This pretty much says it all. As an employer, I'd never consider negatively the peaceful expression of ideas by an employee or potential employee, regardless of whether or not I agree with them. I'd be dismayed if I found someone remained silent on a topic important to them solely because they worried about the appearances of speaking up or participating.

[Sarcasmancer]

"I'm worried the government is going to take away my rights!"
"You should absolutely protest, so the government will know your vocal disapproval of their plan to take away your rights."
"Oh, but you may want to research first and see if there are laws against wearing masks during protests."
"Oh good point, I wouldn't want to break the law!"

... I feel like there may be a few unexamined assumptions or missing steps in the logic here.

[sokoloff]

A law against masks during peaceful protests seems to tread uncomfortably close to an abridgement of free speech and a first amendment concern.

[Frugalman19]

A law against masks during peaceful protests seems to tread uncomfortably close to an abridgement of free speech and a first amendment concern.

They are all peaceful protests, until they are not. You dont know if it was a peaceful protest until after the fact. Look at the last 2 years.

[Fishindude]

If you are truly passionate about your cause for protest, employment should be a secondary concern.

[BlueHouse]

Interesting, I did not know that nor any laws in my state regarding that. I was thinking if it was well below freezing, I'd be inclined to wear a balaclava but if that situation comes up I'll check the legality. Sunglasses or other glasses are probably better for being obscured on camera, and wearing a hat and sunglasses would probably mean someone would have to comb through footage to recognize a person. I'd guess that there were enough people that this didn't ultimately cause a problem for the OP. Personally, I often go right ahead and wear my pussy hat to work (like any other warm hat) but it's very different if you're already hired than if looking.

Yes, do check your local laws. Two men were just arrested in WI and charged with 'wearing a mask while parading.'  To be fair, they're lucky to be alive after their interaction with police, but if that's a reason for the cops to arrest someone, they will use it.

does the mask have to obscure your face?  What if you wear a mask on the back of your head?   

[sokoloff]

A law against masks during peaceful protests seems to tread uncomfortably close to an abridgement of free speech and a first amendment concern.

They are all peaceful protests, until they are not. You dont know if it was a peaceful protest until after the fact. Look at the last 2 years.

Does the law ban wearing a mask only during violent protests, or during all protests? The constitutionality of the law depends on that distinction.

You may be making a separate (and valid) point about the law being selectively enforced only during/after violent protests.

[Metric Mouse]

Interesting, I did not know that nor any laws in my state regarding that. I was thinking if it was well below freezing, I'd be inclined to wear a balaclava but if that situation comes up I'll check the legality. Sunglasses or other glasses are probably better for being obscured on camera, and wearing a hat and sunglasses would probably mean someone would have to comb through footage to recognize a person. I'd guess that there were enough people that this didn't ultimately cause a problem for the OP. Personally, I often go right ahead and wear my pussy hat to work (like any other warm hat) but it's very different if you're already hired than if looking.

Yes, do check your local laws. Two men were just arrested in WI and charged with 'wearing a mask while parading.'  To be fair, they're lucky to be alive after their interaction with police, but if that's a reason for the cops to arrest someone, they will use it.

does the mask have to obscure your face?  What if you wear a mask on the back of your head?

I think that it would depend upon the wording of one's local laws. Generally, from my research, they just ban facial coverings, but it really depends.

[Raenia]

"I'm worried the government is going to take away my rights!"
"You should participate in this perfectly legalprotest, so the government will know your vocal disapproval of their plan to take away your rights."
"Oh, but you may want to research first and see if there are laws against wearing masks during protests."
"Oh good point, I wouldn't want to break the law give them an excuse to arrest me!"

... I feel like there may be a few unexamined assumptions or missing steps in the logic here.

FTFY