Many of us have heard that politics don’t belong in the workplace. It’s a taboo topic. Yet, we know that doesn’t deter everyone. We’ve definitely overheard political conversations at work and likely you have too. But does it even matter? Are political conversations that bad? New research looks into the impact of overhearing these conversations at work on employees.
Ambient Workplace Political Conversations
In some ways, you can argue that having a political conversation at work may not be so bad if both parties are willingly entering into the discussion. However, in the workplace, people are usually always nearby. Unless you are having a closed door meeting, casual conversations happening around the office can be overheard by others. Conversations about politics at work that can be overheard are called ‘ambient workplace political conversations’ by researchers.
It’s an interesting concept to explore because the employees that overhear the chatter are not willingly entering into the conversation. They are unwilling participants that may experience some reaction to what’s being said. And, depending on what’s being said, it could create an uncomfortable environment for certain employees.
The Impact
So what did the researchers find? Interestingly, the impact of overhearing one of these discussions varied.
- When employees generally feel like they are different from their coworkers, overhearing political conversations leads to increased negative emotions. Those negative emotions make it harder for employees to focus and get their work done. Plus, their job satisfaction decreases.
- When employees disagree with what’s being said in the conversation, they see an increase in negative emotions and are more stressed.
- When employees agree with what’s being said in the conversation, they actually see a boost in positive emotions.
It matters what is being said. When employees overhear something they disagree with, it makes them feel bad and do worse at work. When employees overhear something they agree with, it makes them feel positive emotions.
What Should You Do?
Given the nuance in the findings, what should you do? Ultimately, you never know what people around you believe. If you are certain everyone agrees with you, it’s actually ok to have the political conversation. However, it’s better to be safe than to create a negative environment for your colleagues. If you really want to have a political discussion with a good friend in the office, go into a conference room or office and close the door. Don’t forget how easy it is for people to overhear you. Do your best to ensure you aren’t overheard and force unwilling coworkers to have a reaction to your discussion!
