An old workplace adage advises steering clear of discussing politics, religion, or how to properly load the office dishwasher. With the election approaching, the number of sensitive topics has grown. Politics, policies, and social issues tied to political ideologies are now part of our meetings.Topics such as racial justice, religion, gender and LGBTQ+ rights, immigration policies, gun control, COVID-19 vaccines, climate change, economic policies, what’s real and what’s fake, and even media bias and technology ethics are now part of everyday conversations, but less so in the workplace.
Avoiding these subjects is like trying to ignore a fire alarm during a critical presentation. You might pretend it's not sounding, but everyone else is uncomfortably aware of it. The inability—or perhaps the unwillingness—to engage in these conversations doesn't just lead to awkward silences at the “water cooler” (which, by the way, hasn't dispensed cold water since 2019), it can erode the very fabric of workplace civility, making collaboration feel precarious. Steering clear of tough conversations isn’t the solution. In fact, it might be time to create a space for these discussions.
While there are references to some potentially unsettling topics, that’s the point of this post - to take the elephant on. We provide a hopeful view with recommended actions on how to open up dialogue in a structured, respectful way that can benefit not only your employees but your organization as a whole, so please read to the end!
Silence at Work
Research shows that suppressing dialogue on contentious issues can negatively affect employee engagement and morale. Employees who feel safe discussing difficult topics at work are more engaged. When concerns are ignored or shared with the wrong audience, disengagement and turnover often follow.According to the study "Linking Workplace Practices to Community Engagement: The Case for Encouraging Employee Voice", team dialogue enhances engagement, retention, and discretionary effort—key metrics for any organization’s success.
Despite these benefits, many employees remain silent, often because they feel unsafe speaking up. Their willingness to use their voice or remain quiet is influenced by factors like relationships with supervisors, past experiences, and job insecurity (A Penny for Your Thoughts: Exploring Experiences of Engagement, Voice, and Silence.)
As the election approaches, tensions are even higher. From return-to-office mandates to debates over vaccines, reproductive rights, and climate change policies, these issues have the potential to spark conflict if left unaddressed. Economic policies, income inequality, labor unions, and workers' rights are increasingly debated. Some organizations are grappling with pushback against DEI initiatives, raising concerns that hard-won progress in workplace representation and equity for women and minorities could be at risk. Social media has fueled concerns about fake news, media bias, privacy, and technology ethics. A Pew Research Center study found that 64% of Americans believe social media has a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today. Generative AI has accelerated the erosion of trust and its use in creating mass targeted phishing campaigns, voice cloning scams, increasing threats of deepfake Identities is ushering the post-trust reality of an AI-enabled world of synthetic content.
Discussing these issues openly creates a more informed and empowered workforce. It also helps shape fair and responsible company policies. But when employees feel like their voices don’t matter or are not welcomed, it can affect their engagement, mental health, productivity, and ultimately retention.
Creating Space for Dialogue
So, how do you address these sensitive topics? By encouraging structured, respectful dialogue.
Research has shown that providing employees with a platform to voice concerns, especially on social issues, positively impacts engagement and team cohesion. A study focused on "Dissent Expression as an Indicator of Work Engagement and Intention to Leave" found that expressing dissent to management and coworkers is associated with higher work engagement, while voicing concerns to non-management audiences correlates with intention to leave. Providing employees with opportunities to safely voice concerns and ideas can have positive effects both within organizations and in broader community engagement as described in this research that links the workplace practices to community engagement.
It’s not about turning staff meetings into debate clubs but about acknowledging that these issues exist and providing appropriate avenues for discussion. One method that has proven effective is “Listening Sessions” - team dialogues that have been shown to enhance employee engagement and retention (Seymour & Geldenhuys, 2018). These voluntary, structured discussions give employees the space to share thoughts on current events in a professional setting, build empathy and understanding among colleagues.
In a report from Harvard Business Review, organizations that promote open communication see higher retention rates and performance. Open dialogue builds trust, strengthens teams, and ultimately enhances the organization’s culture. When done thoughtfully, these discussions can turn divisive topics into opportunities for growth.
Leader’s role
Leaders now find themselves playing the role of peacekeepers, navigating through the polarizing topics that enter the workplace. Balancing discussions on global vs. national policies, progressive vs. conservative values, shifting global power dynamics and increased international competition (US-China trade relations, technology competition and cybersecurity concerns), conflicts around the world. The list is endless!
According to a report by Deloitte, 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to a business's success. The reality is, while we encourage employees to bring their “whole selves” to work, what happens when that whole self has strong opinions on immigration policies or gun control? Addressing these complex issues requires more than just strategy. It demands empathy, open communication, and thoughtful leadership.
Leaders play a huge role in setting the tone for discourse in the workplace, and doing so with humility is so important! Acknowledging the complexities of conflicting priorities and polarities, admitting that these conversations are challenging for everyone, including themselves, leaders demonstrate vulnerability, which builds trust. Role modeling a respectful tone for difficult discussions, allows employees to engage more openly even in the face of uncertainty and pressure.
Strategies for a Civil Workplace
HR plays an important role in shaping how these conversations unfold. Creating an environment where employees feel safe expressing themselves requires thoughtful planning. Facilitating open dialogue involves more than updating policies or revising benefits—it’s about building a culture where respectful discussions are the norm, where it is ok to discuss sensitive topics, where the growing backlash against DEI initiatives is addressed transparently.
Here are some strategies for encouraging civil conversations in the workplace:
Establish ground rules for discussions to ensure conversations remain professional and respectful. Reinforce that personal attacks or inappropriate language won’t be tolerated.
Offer voluntary listening sessions to provide a structured forum for employees to discuss current events and social issues, building understanding without pressure.
Encourage empathy over agreement with the goal of these conversations is not to convince others to share the same views but to understand different perspectives.
Voting as the Ultimate Voice
As we approach election season, it’s important to remember that the most powerful tool we have to effect change is our VOTE. We don’t have to fight for that voice – it is granted to us by the Constitution, but unfortunately, according to the US Census Bureau, in the 2020 election, only 67% of eligible Americans voted! Just as we seek a voice in workplace issues, voting allows us to shape the larger societal issues that drive those conversations. The right to vote is a fundamental means of influencing policies that impact our lives both inside and outside of work.
Encourage your employees to exercise their voices in the most meaningful way possible—by voting. Engaged citizens build engaged employees, and voting is the ultimate expression of workplace values extended into society.
Moving Forward
Navigating complex conversations in the workplace is challenging, especially when it comes to topics that can be deeply personal, and politically charged. With patience, open-mindedness, and thoughtful approaches, it's possible to create a work environment where difficult topics don't divide us. So the next time you find you’re tempted to avoid a difficult conversation, consider how approaching it with openness and respect might build a stronger human connection.
And you might even be surprised to learn that you and your colleague have more in common than you think. Or at the very least, you can both agree that the office coffee tastes like it was filtered through a sock. It's a start!
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