On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Workplace Impact on Political Views

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Workplace Impact on Political Views As thousands of us head to the voting booth today, I'm going to offer up some Tidbit Tuesday ideas that focus on, of course, politics:* Despite cautions about discussing politics at work, it appears that at least half of us do it. Further, the Adecco Workplace Insights survey also found that 61 percent of Millenials surveyed said they talk politics on the job, while 59 percent of black workers reported participating in the political conversation, compared to 37 percent four years ago. Of those American workers who knew which presidential candidate their boss would be supporting, 39 percent reported this information having impact on their perception of their manager.- These growing numbers have me wondering how much influence our workplace culture, co-workers and bosses influence our votes. If we're spending 10 to 12 hours a day with other employees, might they have a bigger impact on our decisions? Will we vote the way the boss does just to get in good with a manager? Can who we vote for adversely impact a career?* According to an American Management Association survey, employees are decidedly mixed about sharing political views with their colleagues and bosses. More than one-third (35 percent) said they are uncomfortable discussing their political views with colleagues, while 39 percent said they are comfortable. Forty percent, however, are comfortable talking about politics with their supervisors, 38 percent are uncomfortable and 22 percent are neutral.The survey shows that most employees are not campaigning in the office for their favorites. Ninety-two percent of respondents said that no one from their company either management or labor has recommended voting for a particular candidate because it would benefit the organization. This reveals a slight decrease from AMAs 2004 survey on the same subject, in which 13 percent of respondents confirmed that someone from their company recommended a particular candidate.Again, this brings up the subject of how we may be indirectly influenced by the workplace in regard to who we vote for. As the race heats up, will more employees feel strongly enough to voice their views? Will that influence a boss's perception of an employee?There's been a lot of talk about how this is such a historic election in our country. Is that importance bound to change the way politics is viewed in the workplace, or how we view our colleagues or bosses? It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the coming year.Now, for those of you who can, GO VOTE!!del.icio.us