How to navigate your divided office after the election

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN

(CNN) — Whether you’re elated or despondent that Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, chances are you’re working with some colleagues who feel the exact opposite – or, incomprehensibly to some, just really don’t care.

After such a hotly contested, divisive race, employers are aware that many employees may have strong responses that could impact work.

Several potential knock-on effects concern them, according to workplace experts and an analysis done by global public relations agency Burson. They include: Lost productivity. Hostility and incivility between employees. And for some, mental health struggles, especially if an employee is feeling harassed, dismissed or discriminated against for their political views.

Everything with this election has been amplified, said Christy Pruitt-Haynes, a distinguished faculty member at the NeuroLeadership Institute. “People are feeling much more personally attacked by the other side – there are going to be hard lines drawn in people’s minds. Some will be coming in excited and some coming in near tears.”

If there is one positive, it’s that the election result is not being contested, as many had been assuming, which would have prolonged uncertainty.

“Knowing may be easier. With a clear-cut winner, we know what we’re dealing with,” she said.

Giving employees some room

Pruitt-Haynes expects many employers will be lenient if employees need to take some time to digest the outcome.

“Some are giving employees the option to work from home – even those with strict RTO policies – saying, ‘If you need to work from home for the next couple of days or weeks, do that.’” And, she added, “A lot of companies are assuming it’s going to be difficult and are (doing things like) shifting deadlines whenever possible.”

Michael McAfee, CEO of PolicyLink, a think tank dedicated to advancing racial and economic equity for all Americans regardless of political party, said he expects those who come to work to be professional and remain dedicated to the group’s mission. But he also is letting his staff know “if they need to take leave, they can take leave.” And he encourages them to use employee benefits that can help “restore themselves to get back into the right frame of mind to do our work. … Because after the election there still will be nearly 100 million people struggling to make ends meet.”

The risk of potential discrimination

Employers might see some lost productivity over the next week much as there was after Trump’s shocking win in 2016, said Johnny Taylor, head of the human resource management association SHRM, on a media call held a week before the election.

But longer term, he said, productivity may still be a concern unless company leaders take seriously their role in modeling civility at work, and setting boundaries for what will not be tolerated should employees disagree with colleagues over political issues.

In its survey of private-sector employers and employees, Burson found that 38% of C-suite leaders said they “are aware of instances where employees in their organization have experienced mistreatment in their workplace related to political views or the upcoming election.”

Research by SHRM, which has created a civility resources kit for employers, found that it takes 31 minutes when an employee is attacked or harassed to “get back into the game. Think about the (productivity) cost to employers,” Taylor said.

That is especially the case if you’re talking about a small business with 10 or fewer employees.

And, Taylor noted, employers should be concerned for employees’ mental health when they feel harangued or otherwise excluded, especially if they don’t feel they can quit their job and get another.

That sense of being treated poorly can take the form of a casual comment. “If I’m a supporter of the loser and you hear me on the phone devastated and worried about what’s to come, don’t make hurtful comments like ‘Oh, you’re just overreacting. Everything is going to be fine,’” Pruitt-Haynes said.

Or, she said, it can take the form of feeling iced out of a promotion because the person you’re interviewing with makes it clear they voted differently.

Keeping exchanges civil

Love or hate the election result, having a strong response to it limits “our ability to think logically and strategically. And our ability to regulate our emotions decreases,” Pruitt-Haynes said.

Which can make for some very ill-advised remarks at the office or on group chats if the election comes up.

That’s why managers and other leaders at work need to make a concerted effort to remind people, when the time is right, about why they are there.

“Keep it positive while acknowledging people’s feelings. Be very direct in saying, ‘We know some people are thrilled and others are afraid and devastated. But we can all agree … that we as an organization will continue to move forward in the way we always have,’” she suggested.

Leaders need to check themselves too. “Organizations should do their best to remain neutral – CEOs and C-suites and department heads should (leave) their personal opinion out of it,” Pruitt-Haynes said.

Also, foster what most people want when they come to work, said Ashley Herd, founder of ManagerMethod.

“What people want is calm, stability and respect. … Let them know, ‘When you come to work, there’s things that we have in common. People want to be respected as individuals (and) work together,’” Herd said.

The last thing anyone wants, she added, regardless of how they voted, is to worry “someone will come and throw it in (their) face.”

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