Zety, a career service dedicated to helping people improve their resumes and cover letters, polled 1,102 U.S.-based workers to investigate the prevalence and impact of political discussions in the workplace. Zety’s Politics at Work Report highlights the widespread nature of these conversations and their effects on employee comfort, discretion, and job satisfaction.
Key findings include the following.
- High prevalence of political discussions, with 92% of workers engaging in political discussions in the workplace.
- High concealment, with 66% of workers admitting to lying about their political views, with entry-level and younger employees being the most likely to misrepresent their stances.
- Support for banning political talk, with 60% of workers believing that political discussions should be banned int he workplace, with stronger support among younger workers, entry-level employees, and remote workers.
- Desire to leave due to politics, with 75% of workers considering looking for a new employer due to the current political environment in their workplace, a sentiment that is especially powerful among younger and entry-level employees.
“In today’s polarized political climate, it’s no surprise that political discussions have become a common–and often uncomfortable–part of the workplace culture,” says Jasmine Escalera, career expert at Zety. “The data shows that while many employees feel compelled to participate in political discussions at work, these conversations frequently lead to tension, fear of judgment, and pressure to hide political views to maintain harmony and avoid conflict in the workplace.”
The survey reveals that 66% have lied about their political views at work. However, this practice is not uniformly distributed across all employee groups; it varies significantly based on job level, work environment, and age. Most (94%) of entry-level workers lie about their political views, compared to 44% of senior-level managers. More than three-quarters (77%) of remote workers have misrepresented their political stances, compared to 51% of on-site employees. And 83% of younger workers (under 25) feel the need to lie, compared to 63% of their older colleagues (26 and older).
When respondents were asked about their motivations for hiding their political views at work, the survey revealed the following reasons behind this widespread discretion:
- fear negative consequences from the company, manager, or coworkers (41%);
- wish to avoid conflict and fit in with the team (30%);
- share discomfort with sharing personal political beliefs at work (11%); and
- fear of being judged or discriminated against (4%).
Three-quarters (75%) of workers are considering looking for a new employer due to their current political environment. The survey reveals concerns about how the current political climate affects employee retention and workplace culture among various age groups and experience levels, with men (81%) more likely than women (68%) to seek new employment due to political differences; younger employees (96%) more likely than older employees (71%) to seek new employment; and entry-level workers (89%) more likely than experienced workers (67%) to consider leaving their jobs.
