There are enough issues for people to disagree about at work and now comes one of the most divided political elections ever, which of course, people are going to talk and disagree about at work. But will they? Or is this just too touchy a subject?

It’s hard not to engage in political banter. But this time around, workers seem just as divided about whether to share their opinions or keep them to themselves as they are about the election.

A worker at one technology firm, said, “I wouldn’t ask anyone directly their affiliation. It tends to be a divider not a uniter. It might give you a wider perspective of people. But I think it creates tension and is just too emotional. The only time I’ve talked about this campaign is to observe that John Edwards looks very much like a co-worker.”

She also noticed that workers who mentioned the campaign most tend to be from another country such as India and England, speculating, “It must be more common place to debate there.”

In other environments, people are more open, even assuming everyone agrees with them, which can alienate others. A worker who’s in a creative field told me he was at lunch with two other creative types and, “They were talking about Fahrenheit 911 and just assumed I had liberal leanings like them. I just sat there and didn’t say anything. I think they figured out where I stood because of my silence.”

His philosophy is that it’s never a good idea to discuss politics at work—especially this year.

“It’s a more emotionally charged topic than in the past. The stakes are higher, people are more divided. People are decided. It’s pointless to discuss. It only leads to resentment, arguments and a new ‘us and them mentality.’”

What if the issue gets brought up? Depending on the relationship, it can be best to gently head down another path. For example, I attended a dinner recently with a client who had strong opinions about the candidates. She was ranting about “that manipulative S.O.B.” and asked me what I thought. Seeing how strongly she felt, I couldn’t see any good coming out of the discussion, and said something about everyone having their own opinions.

She got annoyed that I wouldn’t take sides, trying to bait me by saying I must feel differently than her. But I decided it would have compromised our relationship and stuck to my guns. She was frustrated, but we finally moved on to our business at hand.

Someone else told me that after getting a sense of where their client stood on the issues, she found they were on the same side and it became a way for them to bond.

An attorney said, “I have no reason to discourage political discussion. We tolerate all kinds of differences here, really and truly and I guess it helps people to know each other better.” He described most of his colleagues as conservative, “which is a bit of a deterrent, although, honestly, a couple of the avid Republicans are the most interesting to talk to.” He added that sports is the most frequent topic of conversation but that he’d rather discuss politics.

One executive said, overall, he’s just sick of hearing what everyone thinks. “I’ve been getting anti-Bush and anti-Kerry e-mail for months and think they’re strident and stupid. I just want everyone and their opinions to leave me alone.”

Whether people are just more vocal or intolerant of others’ viewpoints or it’s the divisive climate of this year’s election, a good rule of thumb would be to keep this sensitive subject to yourself to keep the peace--and productivity going--at work.

© by Andrea Kay