Running for office - would this tarnish my image and get me fired ?

Had good reviews in my mid year and through a series of events I can't explain so I don't dox myself, I have a shot at running in the New York State assembly election next year. I just told my boss and I am freaking out because we are now meant to talk to HR before i officially put it on my OBA. Is there a chance this could lead to me being fired? Like would it be seen as a distraction from my work.

EDIT: There seems to be a misunderstanding, I am not planning to be a politician AND work in finance. I am asking if I can run while I stay employed. Running for office and fundraising etc counts as an OBA whether i win or lose. I dont want to quit my job, I want to stay employed until the election and if i win then i will quit and if i lose just stay on. 

I am asking if running alone would tarnish my reputation or make hr want to fire me

8 Comments
 

Why would they have a problem with me running in a local election? it literally doesnt make sense, if i win then they have an ex employee in the government, if i lose then its back to business. 

I am not planning to do both, if I win, I will quit, plain and simple.

 
Most Helpful

A real politician would likely be able to run through this strategic analysis themselves, but it's fine that you're asking. My read is that it's rather unlikely that they will immediately fire you with this meeting, but will rather take the time with HR to gauge your seriousness, communicate the various conflicts of interest or separations of church and state that are inherent with a position like this, and make sure that you're aware that working full-bore for this corporate bank is not compatible with working as a politician.

In an ideal scenario, you'll be coached on what topics you should or should not avoid as a politician, they'll say they're supportive of you having some role at the commercial bank, and say "we'll wait and see" in terms of your corporate client coverage and cutting your hours and preserve future strategic flexibility. In the worst case scenario, they say that they wish you well on your ambitions and will be giving you the full-time ability to consider them...

In the middle is some kind of compliance screening where they either allow you to do it or tell you not to do it:

If their answer is yes: this is still a pretty ideal outcome. Proceed cautiously.

If their answer is no: you are on their radar as a flight risk and they may think less of you for you having brought this up. 12-18 months of solid performance will fix 80% of the damage, but in the interim you should work extra hard at your job and dual track other opportunities by talking confidentially to a few colleagues at other companies to check in on "market conditions."

Additionally, NY state law caps outside employment income at $35,000 per year, so you're not going to be making that much from these guys in the grand scheme of things anyway. Seems better to me to just leave on friendly terms with an understanding that you'd love to have a similar seat from them if you should ever leave office. 

Assemblyman is a nice exit that can be parlayed into a lot of things. Just have enough money on hand to fund your share of the campaign and live on. To Albany!

 

Hey sorry I think there is a misunderstanding. I am not planning to do both, I just want to remain employed while I run and launch my campaign.

I am going to quit if i win the election, my question is whether running alone would be detrimental to my career especially if i lose. 

I have made it clear I have a comittee on standby and they would do the work Monday to Friday on the election. 

I need to put it on my OBA before I officially run because that is the rule in the bank I guess. 

 

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