Politics at Work: More Than 20% of People Fake Their Political Opinions Among Colleagues

Did you know that 2024 is set to break records as the largest election year in history? It stands out for its scale and potential geopolitical impact as over half of the world’s population will vote. 

With so much at stake, it's no surprise people are discussing politics — even at work. To better understand how employees perceive, approach, and interpret their political discussions at the workplace — and whether they sometimes use them to their (dis)advantage — Kickresume surveyed 2,820 employees across all continents.

Here's a quick snapshot of the findings:

• 50% of employees say political discussions have increased over five years
• 20% never engage in workplace discussions about politics
• 1% admit to engaging in physical confrontation, with the majority of that 1% being male millennials
• 21% have faked political views, mostly to avoid conflict or fit in with colleagues
• Men are more likely to fake opinions to boost their image, while women are more inclined to misrepresent their views to satisfy their boss
• 78% of employees who would be willing to quit their job due to political disputes are between the ages of 18 and 43
• A startling 18% of people have reported being asked political questions during a job interview at least once
• Taxes, corruption, and the economy are the most discussed political topics at the workplace

Employees aren’t keen to talk about politics at the workplace 

Most employees do have a genuine interest in politics — 72%, to be exact. However, their individual curiosity doesn’t necessarily translate into frequent discussions at work — the largest group of employees (38%) discusses politics at the workplace only occasionally. This is an interesting disparity, showing that even though they seek the topic for themselves, it isn’t tied to a need to share their opinions with other colleagues.

20% of employees say they never get involved in political discussions at the office, and 19% discuss politics rarely, if ever. The reasons for refraining from political discussion can vary. For instance, the current heated political climate with many delicate topics, the risk of conflict, or strong personal beliefs might potentially harm one’s relationships with their co-workers or boss. 

Additionally, some might think that political discussions aren’t suitable for the workplace at all, or their company might have very strict rules about political topics. Thus, they either partially or completely avoid sharing their opinions with co-workers. 

Another factor that might come into play is the focus on getting the job done. In order to adhere to standards of professionalism, some workers may need to avoid such distractions to complete tasks successfully.

In contrast, 14% of employees engage in political debates fairly often, while 9% jump into discussions whenever the opportunity arises. These workers are more comfortable expressing their beliefs and may not fear conflict. They may also work in workplaces that encourage open dialogue.

In essence, the dominant portion of workers is open to political discussion to a certain degree, but their frequency of discussion may vary due to both internal and external factors. The number of workers who discuss politics on a daily basis is generally a fraction of the whole.

Still, employees discuss politics more often than before

Although the willingness to discuss politics at work has its limitations, statistics show that people are talking about politics more now than they did five years ago. 49% of employees have noticed an increase in political conversations, 28% say discussions occur at the same rate, and 23% believe they happen less frequently.

This raises an interesting question: How is it possible that employees are hesitant to discuss politics at work, yet there are more political conversations than five years ago?

One explanation could be that, despite hesitation, people are more willing to speak out than before. Increased polarization might make political topics harder to avoid, and with growing societal problems, they become unavoidable in certain conversations. 

Key issues—ranging from economic stagnation and global conflicts to extreme weather—are increasingly politicized, making them more likely to surface even in casual discussions among those who would normally avoid them.

To understand this trend more deeply, we also looked at how recently employees have discussed politics at work:

• 13% had done so the same day they took our survey
• 32% of employees reported discussing politics at work within the past week
• 20% talked politics more than a week ago 
• 22% last discussed politics over a month ago
• On the flip side, 13% have never talked politics at work

In short, 65% of employees have had some kind of political conversation in the 30 days prior to the survey. This shows that the majority of people do talk about politics in the office, though not on a daily basis, but the topic remains regularly discussed among workers.

Taxes, corruption, economy. People tend to discuss election-friendly topics 

So, political debates at the workplace are quite common nowadays. When it comes to subjects discussed, surprisingly, they weren’t anywhere near as spicy as the ones we see in the news on a daily basis. 

Purely economic and political topics dominated the top 5 of the ranking:

1. Taxes (39%) 
2. Corruption (38%)
3. State's economy (37%)
4. Elections (35%) 
5. Political parties & figures (33%)
6. Workers' rights (27%)
7. International politics (26%)
8. Crime (26%)
9. Domestic politics (25%)
10. Minimum wage (25%)

The top 10 is not as broad topic-wise as one might expect. Moreover, it sticks to general topics like financial well-being, personal safety, and national stability. From taxes to minimum wage, these issues directly affect job markets, business regulations, and personal rights, making them highly relevant to workers.

Global political turmoil in recent years, marked by economic uncertainty and instability, also fuels discussions about political figures and domestic or foreign policies. These topics revolve not only around who governs but also influence daily existential and financial realities. Today, they may feel more relevant than emotionally charged issues with different societal impact, such as the rights of specific groups.

Additionally, these issues seem easier to address in the short term, even if they may not be. Compared to climate change, which many still view as an unclear long-term problem, they’re less abstract. Omnipresent inflation and rising costs of living amplify the focus on these subjects, making them central to workplace conversations. 

Elections, in particular, sit in fourth place among the most-discussed topics. The notable interest in election-related matters is likely driven by the significant number of elections occurring this year in major regions such as the US, EU, and India. 

These elections will shape regional futures, with some potentially affecting the world. Employee interest may arise from the uncertainty and changes a new political cycle may bring. Additionally, media coverage and global economic instability keep these issues constantly at the forefront.

The lowest ranks were split between:

1. Climate change (23%)
2. Healthcare & drug regulations (23%)
3. Immigration (22%)
4. Social issues (gender equality 21%, LGBTQ rights 12%),
5. Educational issues (student loans 11%)

Above mentioned issues likely also rank lower in workplace discussions due to another set of factors like conflict prevention, maintaining professionalism, or even cultural norms. 

Since these issues are often not as easy to measure, they’re also not as easy to communicate and sometimes may lead to disputes based on personal or religious beliefs. Cultural norms or in some cases even legal restrictions in certain regions also further discourage these discussions, contributing to their lower ranking.

Being respectful: Workplace discussions rarely end in a fight

Talking about politics at work can go both ways. For those who handle it respectfully, it can be a great way to practice interpersonal skills — ideally with someone who doesn’t share your views. But it can also have downsides, like lowering productivity, causing stress, and harming communication within the team.

So, how do employees handle interactions with their colleagues? The results are quite revealing: most people don’t want to disrupt workflow or harm relationships. 

• The largest group of 54% claims to engage in respectful conversations about politics. Notably, 67% of this group are male, while 33% are female. Generation-wise, the most prominent group to handle conversations respectfully is male millennials (28-43 years old).
• 14% simply avoid the discussion altogether 
• 12% usually agree with their colleagues just to keep the peace but think differently to themselves 

On the other hand: 

• 8% of people actively try to change others' minds
• 6% avoid their colleagues after an unsuccessful debate due to differing opinions
• 3% of employees start openly arguing about politics
• Around 2% go so far as to stop speaking to their colleagues
• Shockingly, 1% are willing to get physical over their opinions, majority of those being men between 28-43 years of age (millennials)

Also, with 6% of employees avoiding colleagues and 2% ceasing contact after a political argument, a total of 8% of employees adjust their workplace interactions based on political debates. 

When disagreements arise, these employees may shift how they engage with others. In environments where teamwork and cooperation are key, this can have real consequences. Avoiding colleagues or cutting off communication over political differences might lead to missed collaboration opportunities, lower productivity, or even strain workplace culture.

To deceive or not to deceive, that’s the question

Further, a significant portion of workers have, at some point in their lives, voiced a political opinion mimicking the views of those around them with a hidden aim of personal gain. 

The survey revealed that 21% of employees have lied about their political opinions at least once. It's also important to note that these workers lied for multiple reasons.

The main reasons overall for people to lie about their political views were to:

• Avoid conflict: 64%
• Fit in with the team: 27%
• Make themselves look better: 15%
• Please their boss: 15%
• Get a promotion: 11%

When comparing the two sexes, men made up a staggering 75% of all workers who admitted to dishonesty, leaving only 25% for women. However, the order of reasons for dishonesty was almost identical for both sexes. Mainly the third-place reason differed: men were more likely to fake opinions to make themselves look better, while women were more likely to lie about their views to please their boss.

Men lied to their colleagues and bosses to:

• Avoid conflict at work: 63%
• Fit into team: 27%
• Make themselves look better: 17%
• Please their boss: 15%
• Get promoted 12%

Whereas women lied to:

• Avoid conflict at work: 72%
• Fit into team: 28%
• Please their boss: 18%
• Make themselves look better: 11%
• Get promoted: 8%

Further, millennials were the biggest “fakers,” making up over 46%, followed by Gen Z at 36%. Older generations were less likely to lie, with Gen X at 16% and Baby Boomers, together with the Silent Generation, barely under 3%. 

Millennials emerged as the generation most inclined to fake political views probably due to being in the early-to-mid stages of their careers. They face greater pressure to align with their colleagues' or superiors' views to advance professionally unlike Gen X or Boomers, many of whom are in leading positions. Adapting to others' opinions can feel essential to their career growth.

Also, having grown up in an era of intense political polarization and increased workplace diversity, millennials have to navigate a more complex social environment. Sharing genuine opinions could lead to backlash, so many adapt their views to suit various social contexts, a skill honed by their familiarity with social media and digital communication. 

Moreover, millennials are in a socially active phase of their lives. So, they might often prioritize team spirit, adjusting their views to avoid workplace isolation and maintain harmony.

Employees rarely quit over politics, consensus among employees is often achievable 

When people realize they’ll never see eye to eye, most aren’t willing to quit or change their job because of political differences (86%). However, 14% say they’d be willing to send in that resignation letter, leave, and never see their colleagues again due to political disputes.

Men are more likely to leave their jobs over political views, making up over two-thirds (68%) of those who said they’d quit, while women accounted for only 32%. 

Age also plays a role: younger people are more willing to leave. 78% of employees who would quit are aged 18-43, compared to only 22% of people over 43.

Also, the survey shows that political discussions usually end up being successfully resolved. 49% of employees claim that their colleagues come to an agreement at least sometimes. 17% say it happens often, and 7% state that they always achieve mutual understanding of their personal political opinions. 

However, not all employees are lucky in harmonizing their opinions and 14% claim that an agreement doesn’t happen often, and 13% say that their colleagues never find common ground. 

Being asked about politics at an interview isn’t rare

Although navigating political discussions with colleagues can definitely be sometimes tricky, it’s even harder when a potential employer inappropriately asks you about one’s political beliefs. Disturbingly, 19% of employees say they've been asked politics-related questions during their job interviews. 

This is an alarming number when we take into account that a job interview should be objective and shouldn’t create opportunities for discrimination. Moreover, this practice may potentially violate anti-discrimination laws in many countries.

Among the 19% of employees who answered that they've been asked political questions, the Asian continent came out as the most problematic one with 35%. 

Second comes the Americas with 27% overall, with a surprisingly high percentage in North America (16%). South America shows 8% and Central America equals the Caribbean with 3%. Sub-Saharan Africa is only second behind North America with 15%. 

Europe also has a surprisingly high number (11%) even though many European countries prohibit or limit asking politically oriented job interview questions. For example, countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands have long implemented safeguards in their labor laws to prevent political discrimination.

On the other end, the Middle East and North Africa combined scored 9% and at the very end of this list came Australia and Oceania with only 2%.

Final thoughts 

In conclusion, our survey reveals that employees are genuinely interested in politics, yet they often don’t pursue discussions at the workplace. Despite this, political discussions at the workplace happen more often than a few years ago, but they’re not without challenges. 

While many employees can navigate these conversations respectfully, others may avoid them altogether to keep the peace, and a small percentage gets into conflicts. 

With diverse topics like taxes and corruption being the most discussed, it's clear that economic issues are top-of-mind for many. However, sensitive subjects like gender equality or LGBTQ rights are less frequently brought up, likely due to fear of conflict. 

Creating a workplace culture where respectful discussions can happen without tension is key to fostering a healthy environment for all employees.

Demographics: 

• Age: The largest age group was 28-43 (Millennials) with 46%. The second largest group was 18-27 (Generation Z) with 33%. Third largest group was 44-59 (Generation X) with 18%. The remaining groups were 60-69 (Baby Boomers) with 2%, and 70 and above (Silent Generation) with 1%.
• Gender: 67% were male, 32% were female, 1% identified as other.
• Location: Respondents were from all continents, with the largest numbers from Asia (31%), followed by North America (27%), Sub-Saharan Africa (10%), the Middle East and North Africa (8%), South America (6%), Europe (3%), Central America and the Caribbean (2%), and Australia and Oceania (2%).

Note

This anonymous online survey was conducted by Kickresume, from August 28 to September 5, 2024. 2,820 participants aged 18-79 globally were surveyed to better understand political discussions at the workplace. Every continent was included with most employees located in Northern America, Asia, and Europe.

About Kickresume

Kickresume is an AI-based career tool that helps candidates source jobs and raise salary with powerful resume and cover letter tools, skills analytics, and automated job search assistance. It already helped more than 6 million job seekers worldwide.