Office Politics Exposed in Survey

From Memes to Manifestos: 1 in 5 Brits Feud With Colleagues at Work Over Politics

The survey revealed that:

• Over a quarter of Brits feel politics isn’t an appropriate topic for the workplace.
• More than 53% of respondents said they are not open about their political opinions at work.
• A whopping 3 in 5 respondents find it unacceptable to ask their colleagues about their voting choices.
• More than half of Brits, believe that talking about politics at work can lead to issues.
• 21% of respondents stated that their workplace has set rules about politics.
• More than a third of respondents support the introduction of such rules around politics at work, compared to 51% who prefer to keep political chat as it is.
• Almost 1 in 5 have experienced a “hot under the collar” moment with a colleague at work over politics.
• One in twelve respondents openly admitted to trying to persuade, convince, or influence a colleague on their own political views.
• Additionally, a third of respondents admitted to sharing political news at work, and one in three confessed to sharing political jokes or memes.
• The full blog and research can be found here

To better understand the general consensus, instantprint surveyed over 1,000 Brits to uncover their thoughts and experiences regarding political discussions in the workplace. Our findings shed light on how employees feel about mixing politics with their professional lives.

Are Politics A Good Topic of Conversation?

We asked our survey respondents if they think it’s okay to discuss politics in the workplace. The results were quite revealing: more than 54% of respondents believe that discussing politics at work is acceptable, while just over a quarter feel it isn’t an appropriate topic for the workplace. Interestingly, 1 in 5 respondents shared that whether politics is a suitable conversation topic depends on where you work, who you’re talking to, and the circumstances of the situation.

When it comes to being vocal about their political views at work, more than 53% of respondents said they are not open about their political opinions. In contrast, only a third consider themselves vocal about politics in the workplace. Additionally, 13% mentioned that they would share their views if asked but wouldn’t initiate conversations around politics on their own.

Is It Ever Okay to Ask a Colleague About Their Political Views?

We asked our survey respondents if they think it’s okay to ask their colleagues who they’re voting for. A whopping six in ten respondents find it unacceptable to ask their colleagues about their voting choices, indicating that political discussions in the workplace remain a taboo topic. However, nearly a quarter of Brits shared that they would feel comfortable asking, and just over 10% mentioned that they would only ask if it’s mutual or if they have a good relationship with the person they’re talking to.

Does Talking About Politics at Work Cause a Stir?

We asked survey participants if they think discussing politics in the workplace causes problems. A significant proportion, more than half of Brits, believe that talking about politics at work does indeed lead to issues. Only 23% disagreed with this sentiment. Additionally, more than a quarter of respondents indicated that while it may not always cause problems, it certainly has the potential to do so. This highlights the sensitive nature of political discussions in a professional setting and the cautious approach many employees prefer to take.

Do We Need Rules?

We asked our survey respondents if their employer has any rules or regulations around discussing politics in the workplace. More than three quarters of respondents shared that their employer has no rules regarding political discussions. Given that more than half of Brits believe talking about politics causes problems at work, maybe it’s time to introduce some guidelines.

A small 21% of respondents stated that their workplace has rules about politics.

We followed up by asking if respondents believe there should be rules around discussing politics in the workplace. Interestingly, more than a third of respondents support the introduction of such rules, compared to 51% who prefer to keep political chat as it is.

Other respondents shared their thoughts:

“Maybe creating break-out areas with a moderator for staff to discuss their views. With most people spending more time socialising at work than at home, it will be a modern affair team members will want to discuss, but feel it’s important for these discussions to be unbiased and not manipulative.”

“No rules specifically about politics, but guidelines on how to deal with differences in beliefs and opinions in general.”

“Only if there have been problems, then guidance could be brought in.”

Workplace Politics Are Causing Brits to Get Hot Under the Collar

We asked our respondents if they had ever had an argument, feud, or heated discussion with a colleague involving politics.

Almost 1 in 5 have experienced a “hot under the collar” moment with a colleague at work over politics, whether it’s due to voting for opposing parties or pushing their political views.

Interestingly, respondents noted a generational gap in these discussions: “I have seen heated coercion of younger team members by older team members with strong political views.” This suggests that political tensions in the workplace can sometimes be influenced by age-related differences in perspectives and communication styles.

Brits Try to Persuade Colleagues to Their Political Views

One in twelve respondents openly admitted to trying to persuade, convince, or influence a colleague on their own political views.

Additionally, a third of respondents admitted to sharing political news at work, and one in three confessed to sharing political jokes or memes.

Interestingly, 3% of respondents revealed that they have been known to circulate a political party’s manifesto among their colleagues.

These findings indicate that political discourse in the workplace goes beyond casual conversation, often involving active attempts to spread personal political beliefs.