Thirty-six percent of workers say they discuss politics at work, and 43 percent plan to address this year's presidential election with co-workers, according to a national CareerBuilder survey conducted by Harris Interactive.
Although most conversations about politics are good-natured or even-tempered, 23 percent of respondents who have discussed politics at work say they have participated in heated discussions or fights with a co-worker, boss or someone else higher up in the organization. One in 10 respondents say their opinions about co-workers have changed after they discovered their political affiliations, and most say it negatively changed.
The survey reveals that men are more likely to share political opinions or commentary at the office as 44 percent of male respondents discuss politics at work compared to 28 percent of female respondents. Men are also more likely to report an altercation with a co-worker over opposing political views at 25 percent compared to 19 percent of women.
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Respondents age 55 and older are the most likely to discuss politics at work while those under the age of 25 are the least likely with respondents ages 18-24 25 percent likely, ages 25-34 30 percent likely, ages 35-44 34 percent likely, ages 45-54 40 percent likely and ages 55 and older 43 percent likely.
Another 46 percent of respondents say the competitive nature of government politics is strikingly similar to office politics. In fact, 19 percent of respondents say office politics are more vicious than national politics.
"Most workers opt to keep political debates outside of the workplace," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Anytime you're dealing with subject matter that is sensitive or potentially inflammatory, it's important to always be respectful of your colleagues' opinions and avoid emotionally charged exchanges."
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