Political Tension By The Water Cooler

Months after the presidential election, American workplaces are still divided and filled with tension. Political discussions and debate have led to arguments between coworkers, impacted output and led to stress, according to new research by the American Psychological Association. They found that 26 percent of U.S. workers have felt tense or stressed out since the election in November, with 21 percent saying they are more cynical and negative at work due to political discussion.

Talking about politics around the water cooler is nothing new and the research found that 60 percent of people witnessed or overheard others discussing politics since the 2016 election. Disagreements were experienced by 34 percent of those polled while 24 percent decided to give a colleague the cold shoulder due to his or her political views.