This might be news you can use to help you at work. Maybe talking politics shouldn’t be part of your office routine. That is if you believe the results of one new study.
That study showed politics caused one out of five friendships to end, and that one in four people said they actively avoid a colleague over politics. Wayne Hochwarter at Florida State University conducted the study and told KTRH the results are sobering.
“It really does paint a very emotional and conflict laden picture of what’s going on at work and in society,” Hochwarter said.
And his solution? Find other things to talk about while you're at work.
“Let’s talk about weather or local baseball. Politics isn’t anything we need to talk about the office. But it’s difficult for organizations to mandate what you can talk about at work.”
Other results he found include a third of people who said political talk at work stressed them out were more likely to call in sick, and that just 17% said politics wasn't stressful at all.