Political Talk Hurting Job Performance

Don’t talk politics – it might hurt your on-the-job performance. That’s what a new survey by the American Psychological Association revealed, which found that American workers are more likely to say they are feeling stressed and less productive because of political discussions at work now more than before the 2016 presidential election.

The survey found that 26 percent of full-time and part-time employed adults said they have felt tense or stressed out as a result of political discussions at work since the election, an increase from 17 percent in September 2016 when they were asked about political discussions at work during the election season. More than one-in-five (21 percent) said they have felt more cynical and negative during the workday because of political talk at work, compared with 15 percent before the election, according to the survey from APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence.

Some said that political talk in the workplace has hurt their job performance: 15 percent said they have had difficulty getting work done; 13 percent said their work quality has suffered; and 14 percent said they have been less productive.

The post-election data were collected online within the U.S. on APA’s behalf by Harris Poll from Feb. 16-March 8, 2017, among 1,311 adults who are employed full time or part time. The pre-election online survey was conducted from Aug. 10-12, 2016, among a nationally representative sample of 927 adults who are employed full or part time.

Half of the post-election survey respondents (54 percent) said they have discussed politics at work since the election, and for 40 percent of American workers, it has caused at least one negative outcome, such as reduced productivity, poorer work quality, difficulty getting work done, a more negative view of coworkers, feeling tense or stressed out, or increased workplace hostility. This is a significant increase from the pre-election survey data, when 27 percent reported at least one negative outcome.

“Employers might prefer to keep political talk out of the workplace, but the reality is these often-heated discussions have intensified since the election, posing a threat to employee well-being and business performance,” said David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, director of APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence.