By: Jojo Rita
As the US presidential election nears, the political climate is also heating up. As a result, political discussions and arguments are on the rise in workplaces across the country. According to a recent poll done by SHRM, the past four years have led to heightened political tensions in the office, with 42% of workers stating that they have gotten in fights over politics at work.[1] Such arguments lead not only to an increase in interpersonal conflict and complaints of misconduct, but they can also undermine a company’s underlying goals, values, and mission. How can employers and employees alike best navigate this polarizing political environment in the workplace?
Do:
- Encourage respectful political dialogue according to company policy.
- Reviewing and updating your company’s pertinent policies can help create up-to-date, relevant guidelines for when and where political talk is permitted amongst employees. Be aware that it will rarely, if ever, be appropriate for leaders to take part in such discussions, considering their power and influence over the company culture.
- When talking about politics, keep it specific to your life experience.
- If you find yourself in an appropriate setting to discuss a political topic with coworkers, instead of talking in general terms, talk about issues that directly affect your life. This will make the conversation more personal, rather than trying to impose your worldview on anyone else.
- Use “me” phrases instead of “them” and “you” phrases.
- Determine when/where political discussions at the workplace should be limited or prohibited, with guidance from HR.
- Embrace diverse viewpoints while maintaining professional boundaries.
- Everyone’s voice can be heard in the workplace, as long as they are respectful and adherent to company policy. If someone does “cross the line” and offend you or others, know when to calmly end a political conversation before it becomes an argument.
Don’t:
- Assume any time or place at work is appropriate for political commentary.
- Avoid injecting political discussion into casual conversation about non-political topics. Avoid injecting political discussion into meetings with clients and outside parties.
- Encourage team members to save political commentary for their personal lives, unless directly relevant to a work situation.
- Give them HR resources and guidelines to determine when/if political commentary is appropriate at work.
- Try to change anyone’s mind.
- Attempting to convince someone of your political views is not only unwise, but it could almost certainly lead to conflict. If you are expressing a political viewpoint, remember that others may not agree with you, and that that’s okay.
- Avoid the issue.
- Though it is tempting to ban political discussion in the workplace outright, it is not feasible or reasonable to ask this of folks, considering the relevance and importance it holds in all of our lives. It is better for long-term company culture to establish a safe framework in which some political conversation can be had.
We are all struggling to find common ground in this political environment, and the workplace is no exception. Although it is difficult, establishing best practices for political discourse in the workplace can be achieved with transparency, accountability, and responsibility.
[1] https://www.kornferry.com/insights/this-week-in-leadership/political-discourse-office-tolerance
[2] https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/political-discussions-workplace
[3] https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/talking-politics-workplace