Uncomfortable Conversations Tips Sheet: Addressing Political Discussions

Have you ever felt like you were sitting in the hot seat with family or friends who assailed you with questions challenging your personal beliefs? About a highly charged issue like politics or a moral or religious belief? The room feels tense, and emotions rise as others try to influence you to their way of thinking.

It’s tough navigating conversations about deeply held beliefs with those closest to you. Imagine how much harder it is at work. And yet, political discussions—especially in an election year—are everywhere. News. Social media. The dinner table. And more and more, those conversations are popping up in the workplace.

It may be tempting to create a policy that prohibits discussion of politics in the work environment. While that may provide a temporary reprieve, it could backfire making employees feel silenced and disrespected. And yet, according to a Politics in the Workplace Study, 51% of employees believe political discussions in the workplace hurt the work environment. That’s why your efforts to maintain a culture of respect matter.

Creating a Safe Space

It may feel uncomfortable wading into political discussions, especially when you have your own opinions on the topic. As a manager, how do you create a psychologically safe place when employees’ strongly held political viewpoints and opinions may clash? It begins with proactive leadership: make sure your employees understand the ground rules for engagement. Here are a few guidelines to discuss during a team meeting.

1. Acknowledge the political climate. Explain that regardless of party affiliation or political beliefs, tensions are high everywhere. Many people—including their co-workers—may feel stress, anxiety, or fear related to the election, the state of the economy, or current global events.

2. Emphasize respect. Remind employees that you expect the workplace to be an environment in which all employees feel safe, respected, valued, and included. Explain that not everyone wants to engage in a political discussion, and that’s okay. For those who do, it’s important to maintain respectful words, body language, and tone whether communicating in person, virtually, or via messaging. Tell employees differences of opinion are okay but polarizing language and personal attacks will not be tolerated.

3. Encourage curiosity. Explain that the goal of a healthy political conversation should be curiosity, not an opportunity to change someone’s mind. Encourage employees to enter the conversation with openness, kindness, and curiosity about their co-worker’s perspective.

4. Stop unacceptable conduct. Explain to employees that while the organization does not want to limit healthy dialogue about social issues, it has an obligation to ensure conversations do not offend, disrespect, distract from work, or hurt productivity. Tell employees that you will intervene and stop conversations that become heated or proselytize a candidate, party, or cause.

Handling Volatility

What happens if a discussion gets heated and you need to intervene? It may feel uncomfortable to step in but think of it this way: you’ve already set expectations. Your employees won’t be surprised because they already know the ground rules. Say something like, “It sounds like you both have strong opinions on this. I think it’s time to agree to disagree. Your working relationship and our team are more important than this conversation. Time to get back to work.”

Addressing Inappropriate Conduct

What should you do if a team member refuses to abide by the ground rules? If you find yourself having to intervene in discussions initiated by the same team member, then it’s time to address the problem in private. It can feel uncomfortable or awkward to address behaviors stemming from deeply held personal opinions or beliefs. The key is to remind yourself that the problem is not your team member’s opinion. It’s the way in which your team member is expressing that opinion.

Consider these 3-Be strategies to help you address the problem with professionalism and confidence.

• Be Ready. Take time to prepare for the conversation. Consider the actual problem. What specifically is the team member doing? Disrespectful language or tone? Pushing an opinion or agenda? Disrupting work? Upsetting others? Think about the actual behaviors that are unacceptable and why.
• Be Clear. Meet in private and clearly state the facts and your expectations.

“Last week I stopped a discussion between you and Mary about the debate because it got heated. This morning, someone came to me saying that you continue to bring up politics with him even though he has told you he doesn’t want to talk about it. I understand you feel strongly about the upcoming election. But political discussions are allowed only if they are respectful, don’t disrupt work, or don’t offend anyone. If you continue to initiate political discussions at work, I will consider it a performance issue.”

• Be Steady. Your employee may react by trying to shift your attention off the actual problem.

“Nobody understands what’s at stake. This election matters!”

Stay on track. Redirect the conversation back to the unacceptable behavior and your expectations.

“The political discussions you have initiated have disrupted work and offended a co-worker. If the behavior continues, it will be considered a performance issue.”

Freedom of Speech

If you’re uncomfortable stopping a political conversation on the grounds that it violates the Constitution, it’s important to note that not all speech is protected. Our First Amendment right to free speech only protects people from having their speech limited by the government. That means private employers can stop conversations and regulate speech in the workplace if it doesn’t conflict with state or local law or provisions in the National Labor Relations Act.

The right approach to navigating politics in the workplace will vary by organization. Providing employees with guidelines for constructive and healthy dialogue and holding them accountable will help ensure civility and respect reign in your workplace.

More Resources for Workplace Communication

Uncomfortable Conversations Course

Designed to make good managers great communicators, this highly-engaging course teaches how to confidently navigate difficult conversations with direct reports.

Uncomfortable Conversations Toolkit

Essential resources for handling difficult conversations. Features videos, blogs, tip sheets and more.

Sources:

American Psychological Association, “Managing conversations when you disagree politically,” October 19, 2022

SHRM, “How to Manage Political Discussions in the Workplace,” February 21, 2024,

The suggestions and recommendations in this article are presented to provide guidance; they do not constitute legal advice. If you need advice on how to manage political conversations among employees, consult Human Resources or legal counsel. In summary, this document is not a substitute for legal and/or professional advice.