Productivity

Another Contentious US Election Means a Worker Productivity Dip

American workers are increasingly inclined to bring politics into the workplace, igniting conflict and derailing productivity.

Photographer: Andrew Magnum/Bloomberg

As chatter of the first US presidential debate hit workplaces across the country, executives a got a stark reminder about what happens when a contentious election cycle invades their offices.

Once considered taboo, talking politics at the water cooler is now quite common: Three in five US workers have discussed politics with coworkers over the last year, according to a report published by Glassdoor Inc. last November. While the office has long been seen as a place where Republicans and Democrats set aside their differences to accomplish shared goals, that ideal is fading.