With the upcoming general election, political discussions can be difficult to avoid, you’ll hear them on the office radio, read them on social media, and naturally be drawn in to comment. Where you may be able to embrace healthy political discussions in your own time, in work time it can be a dangerous subject!

When it comes to office ‘politics’ should you go there? No one wants hostility in the workplace, with this in mind it may be wise to avoid being drawn into debates. Consider how and when you share your views with our five thoughts, which we hope will ensure a healthy working relationship with your colleagues.

Play Nice

If you are disclosing your political allegiance you might want to be sure you aren’t alienating colleagues or insulting their beliefs. Not everyone is as open, and many people are traditional to keeping their political allegiance a closely guarded secret, so not always do people wish to disclose and discuss their views.

Agree the playing field

There is nothing wrong with a healthy discussion and broadening your horizons, but you have to be able to take it. Often in small teams, you will agree that you want to share your views and then agree to disagree, but in a larger office, it is not always possible to gauge everyone’s reaction. Always be cautious that the quiet might not be happy and could be on their way to HR citing discrimination issues.

When it’s more than ‘banter’

The word ‘banter’ or ‘bants’ is used as a get-out in many discussions, a killer line can be thrown closely followed by the phrase ‘aw, it’s just banter’. This is not always ok as often banter can end up offending someone, so if you think you’re close to the wire maybe saying nothing is the best way.

Bigger Picture

Once the dust has settled from an election there will be other issues to debate in the office like which radio station should be played, or whether the AC should go on or not. So, ask yourself is it worth creating a divide when you probably won’t be able to influence people’s choices and by next week there will be a fresh debate in the office!

Out of Hours

Whilst out of hours your views are your own, remember that your colleagues, and potentially your boss, can also see your social media feeds. So, if you’re stirring up political debate online it could leak in the office, which ultimately could cause your management concern. Reflect on where this will leave you and whether you want to share your true beliefs on Facebook, or LinkedIn.

If office politics are getting you down perhaps it’s time to consider a new opportunity. Please get in touch with Benchmark’s specialist team for advice and support.