Plenty of people can’t stop talking about politics, even at work. A new survey released by the American Psychological Association shows that more than half of Americans (54%) admit to discussing politics since the election. But all that talk about the government isn’t making our coworkers happy.
According to the survey:
- 31% have witnessed a fight about politics in the office
- 15% have gotten into a dispute themselves over the subject
- 40% of workers say the political talk has led to negative outcomes like being less productive, difficulty getting work done, having a negative view of colleagues, and more workplace hostility.
- And more than a quarter of people surveyed (26%) say they feel tense or stressed out because of it.
So we can all agree that we shouldn’t bring up Trump or politics in general, but what are we supposed to do when a coworker does? Call to Career founder Cheryl Palmer suggests you “say something neutral and then find an excuse to move on.” Sounds simple enough, right? So even when you just want to talk about that “SNL” skit last weekend, save it for your friends outside the office and your coworkers will be thankful.
Source: Moneyish