| | MAY 2024MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM8In MyOpinionThey said what? This question is being asked at work more times than leaders would like during a political election season. How do leaders navigate the political arena at work, while remaining impartial, providing clear expectations for behaviors, yet still enabling their employees to be heard? Being adept at this topic sounds almost impossible, yet political tensions are arising more than ever in the workplace and are not predicted to slow down anytime soon. A Society for Human Resources (SHRM) poll in 2019 indicated that 42 percent of employees experienced political disagreements at work, with a significant portion of employees experiencing political affiliation bias. The same poll in 2022, indicated 24 percent of U.S. workers have personally experienced political affiliation bias, including preferential treatment or undue negative treatment based on their political positions or opinions. This percentage has doubled compared to 2019.In today's dynamic socio-political environment, the ability of leaders to navigate politics and employee relations within the workplace is not just beneficial but essential. While it may seem ideal to simply ask employees to not talk about politics at work, it's not realistic. Many By Emily Gambacorta, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Central HudsonLEADERS NAVIGATING THE ELECTIONSEASON AT WORKEmily Gambacorta
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