It is said that there are two topics you should never discuss in the workplace or at family get-togethers: politics and religion. But there’s no escaping it. Politics is part of our daily lives, and everyone has their opinions.
As co-workers build a rapport and become more comfortable with each other, conversations naturally progress from general sports and pop culture topics into more controversial territory. During an election or referendum, or in the wake of scandal or war, this becomes almost inevitable. Because we spend most of our waking hours with our colleagues, it’s only natural that we would want to share our thoughts and feelings with them.
When people have strong feelings about something, it’s easy for discussions to get out of hand. A presumptive statement about a co-worker’s beliefs can easily spark a heated discussion which can then turn toxic, causing a rift between team members and leaving an underlying air of hostility. This can put a strain on morale and relationships in the workplace, which can be hard to rectify.
If this happens, there are several ways you can defuse the tension. You need to understand that while everyone may have a different perspective, we are all still people at the end of the day, striving for what we think is right.
Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them a bad person, so a manager must lead by example in recognising and demonstrating that. By actively encouraging debate, you open the door to a healthy open dialogue on all subjects, not just politics, and any disagreements will be conducted with a better understanding and ability to engage with each other with compassion.
If you are worried that political discussions will bubble over into unhealthy arguments, set some clear boundaries on acceptable behaviour and speech, and remind staff of any policies and guidelines around discussing politics at work, if the company has some.
Most political discussions don’t start aggressively – instead, they slowly build up. Voices get raised and people gradually become more confrontational with their body language. There is usually time to spot warning signs before it spills over.
When you notice things are getting tense or if you are in the middle of one these discussions yourself, try to mediate. This could be as simple as holding your hands up and agreeing to disagree or telling the other person that you can respect their viewpoint.
If in doubt, do your best to change the subject by commenting on something entirely unrelated or saying that you have work you should be getting on with.
It’s important that no one feels singled out or isolated because of their beliefs. To prevent anyone from feeling this way, make it clear that inappropriate or derogatory comments will not be tolerated, and that no favouritism is shown towards some opinions or beliefs over others.
If someone feels their views are not being respected or that they are being harassed or ostracised because of their opinions, they should not hesitate to report it to HR, who will need to deal with the situation neutrally and without bias.
It may seem tempting to simply ban political discussions at work, but this is counterproductive and impractical. By establishing limits on what can and can’t be said you are stifling openness and creating an atmosphere where people don’t feel they can express their thoughts and feelings.
Preventing political discussions can leave employees feeling isolated and invisible, which impacts their mental health and productivity.
Instead, it’s much better practice to issue an informal reminder every now and then that employees must exercise judgement about what is acceptable and what is likely to cause offence. No matter what you do, you cannot prevent political conversations from taking place – but you can stop them from getting out of hand.
