Talking Politics at Work: A Double-Edged Sword

The political landscape in the U.S. is highly polarized. Understanding how this manifests in the workplace -- for work relationships, engagement and performance -- is important.

Political Conversations at Work Are Common, and Particularly Common in Certain Industries

Nearly half of U.S. workers in February said they had discussed political issues with a coworker in the past month, and that has likely only increased as the presidential election has progressed. Naturally, these encounters are about twice as common among fully on-site employees (54%) as among exclusively remote workers (28%). However, rather than fall in the middle, hybrid workers (48%) report having such conversations nearly as much as fully on-site workers do.

Political conversations are also more common among certain industry characteristic groups. Gallup Panel data were used to determine which industries are composed of more male or female employees versus which are more balanced by gender. Gallup also studied respondents’ occupation and their self-described political ideology (very conservative, conservative, moderate, liberal or very liberal) to determine which industries have employees who lean more conservative, lean more liberal or are politically neutral.

Those working in male-dominated industries (52%) are more likely than those in female-dominated industries (42%) and industries with gender parity (43%) to report discussing political issues at work.

Additionally, workers in industries with conservative-leaning employees (60%) are more likely than those in industries with liberal-leaning employees (48%) to report having political discussions. Both groups are more likely than those working in ideologically neutral industries (41%) to discuss politics at work.

Politics at Work: Bonding or Caustic?

At work, talking about politics can be a double-edged sword. It can break the ice, helping coworkers deepen their relationships, but it can also cause harm -- particularly if workers are already disengaged on the job. An engaged workforce may be better positioned to weather political storms.

Gallup finds that political discussions at work appear to have both positive and negative effects on employees. On one hand, 14% of employees say having political discussions with coworkers has helped them feel included, and 11% say they have grown closer to a coworker because of their political views. At the same time, 12% say political conversations at work have made them feel uncomfortable, and 3% report being treated unfairly for their views.

The effects of political discussions are more pronounced among certain U.S. worker subgroups:

• Younger employees are more likely than older employees to report feeling uncomfortable because of political discussions. However, younger workers are also more likely to say they have grown closer to a coworker because of their political views.
• Men are more likely than women to say they have felt included because of political discussions among coworkers, perhaps because men are having more of these discussions.

Political Discussions May Land Better Among Engaged Workers

Gallup data suggest that employee engagement may buffer the potential negative effects of political conversations at work. Engaged employees are half as likely as actively disengaged employees to say they have felt uncomfortable because of political discussions among coworkers. Engaged employees are also much more likely than actively disengaged employees to say they have felt included because of political discussions among coworkers.

This suggests employee engagement may have a buffering effect on political discussions, increasing the chance that employees give trusted coworkers the benefit of the doubt during political discussions, even if they disagree. Likewise, they may feel safe expressing contrary opinions of their own.

Most Americans Avoid Sharing Political Views in Broader Life

Whether politics is off limits or allowed at work, it’s a topic many Americans navigate in their general lives. A separate Gallup poll conducted in May finds that a majority of U.S. adults (57%) say they have at times avoided sharing their political views because of fear of harassment or poor treatment. This is more than twice the rate of those who have felt reluctant to share their religion (25%) -- though much higher percentages of religious minorities report having avoided disclosing their religious affiliation, such as Jewish adults (60%) and those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon Church (43%).

Additionally, nearly a third of U.S. adults (31%) say they have been treated poorly or harassed in the past year because of their political views -- by far, the most common of the five sources of mistreatment Gallup asked about. Americans are less likely to report being mistreated because of their gender (18%), race (16%), religion (10%) or sexual orientation (7%).

On this broader basis, which includes interactions beyond the workplace, Republicans (36%) are more likely than political independents (30%) and Democrats (27%) to say they have frequently or occasionally been treated poorly in the past year because of their political views.

Merely Hearing Political Conversations Can Have an Impact

The effects of political discussions at work extend beyond the employees who choose to participate in them. There are also costs and benefits associated with overhearing others engage in political conversations, experienced by 38% of U.S. workers.

Research by Christopher Rosen and colleagues published in January 2024 in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that the costs of hearing political conversations could include impeded goal progress and lower job satisfaction for employees who perceive themselves as having dissimilar perspectives, while the benefits could include a more positive mindset from overhearing conversations they agree with. The effects of overhearing conversations may depend on how people perceive their coworkers and the content of the conversations.

With Engagement Down, U.S. Workers Could Be Particularly Vulnerable

Employee engagement hit an 11-year low in the first quarter of 2024 -- improving only slightly in the second quarter -- and people's perceptions of being cared about at work have declined sharply since 2020. This could leave workplaces particularly vulnerable to the corrosive effect of politics as the election unfolds. Gallup polling after the 2016 election found a significant effect of the election on workplace engagement, albeit short-lived. With employee engagement lower today than in 2016 and 2020, engagement’s ability to buffer any potential negative effects of political conversations at work may be diminished this election year.

What can leaders do to help?

Emphasize a culture of respect and inclusion. Leaders should model healthy communication strategies such as active listening and seeking to understand others’ points of view. Modeling these behaviors can inspire employees to follow suit and reinforce a culture of respect and inclusion where every voice is heard and valued.

Ensuring that every employee understands how their organization’s values translate into daily interactions can help create a workplace where colleagues treat each other with empathy, even amid disagreements. Leaders can reiterate their organizational values and ensure every employee knows how those values translate to the way colleagues are expected to treat one another.

Foster trust and understanding between colleagues. Leaders can help create an environment where people feel safe to respectfully voice differing views without fear of retaliation or dismissal. They can encourage colleagues to get to know one another as individuals and appreciate their commonalities and differences. Engaged employees tend to share trust and have close relationships, which may mitigate the negative effects of differing opinions.

Set expectations for how conversations should be managed. Establish ground rules for respectful behavior as well as systems to address disrespect or discrimination. If guidelines are in place for managing these discussions at work, ensure they are well-communicated and understood by every employee.

As the 2024 presidential election heats up, few workplaces will be immune from the effects of political discussions. Gallup will continue to study the prevalence of these conversations and will provide a pre-election update on any effects they are having in America's workplaces.