Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Labor experts say talking politics at work can lead you into dangerous territory, especially if the talk becomes angry or divisive. And a Utah author and researcher says that could be a likely scenario in today's political environment.
Kerry Patterson, co-owner of Provo based Vital Smarts, which specializes in corporate communication, said, "When we start cutting close to home and sort of stepping on core values people get their hackles up, and that's kind of where these elections are going, these past few elections," he said.
Patterson, co-author of "Crucial Conversation: Tools for talking when the stakes are high," said his survey showed nearly three-quarters of Americans would rather avoid political talk in the workplace, especially when it goes beyond talk, to argument.
"Twenty-eight percent of the people feel like they just can't control their own temper as the arguments get heated. And when someone else starts getting pretty aggressive, only 23-percent feel they could handle that," he said.
He said when political issues get emotional at work, employers take notice. He said, "At work the kinds of secondary effects are that people who used to collaborate and get along pretty well are not collaborating."
Patterson believes there's a time and a place for political talk at work, as long as it does not get personal. He suggests that people start from common ground. He says, for example, most people believe in improving the health care system, they just don't agree on how to get there.
Others warn that the courts, historically, have not often sided with employees when it comes to First Amendment issues in the workplace.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
