AS COUNTRY LOOKS AHEAD TO NOVEMBER MIDTERMS, 85 PERCENT OF EMPLOYEES WANT A POLITICS-FREE ZONE AT WORK, ACCORDING TO NEW NATIONAL SURVEY

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Oct 18, 2022, 09:06 ET

ATLANTA, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- While all eyes and ears may be on November's midterm elections, a large majority of employees prefer to keep political discussions out of the workplace because they fear the midterms will lead to increased tensions at work. A survey from Insight Global, a national staffing services company, conducted in September 2022 among 1,002 U.S. working professionals, reveals growing concern among workers over how political discussions may negatively impact both culture and productivity at work.

Looming Midterms Create Concern

Eighty-five percent (85%) of employees prefer their workplace to be a "politics-free" zone. About three in four (74%) employees indicate they are concerned that midterm election conversations could raise feelings of tension at work, while 70% of employees fear the outcome of the midterm elections will negatively impact the economy as well.

Younger Generations Willing to Speak Up

Just over a third of employees (35%) have considered initiating a talk with HR, leadership or their managers because of a political discussion at work. Moreover, roughly half (45%) of Gen Z and Millennial employees are inclined to engage in these conversations.

"With election season here, we know emotions can be high. I can't stress enough the importance of thinking ahead and providing clear, deliberate leadership that sets the tone for the entire organization," said Bert Bean, CEO of Insight Global. "As business leaders, it's our job – and more than that, our responsibility – to understand employee concerns and provide the leadership necessary to unite them around an organizations' missions and values. That means stepping up and having a good handle on how to successfully navigate political issues in the workplace – all which can be key to retaining your talent. "

Bean recommends the following:

Work to build a value-based culture. All companies should be guided by their shared values, not individual political preferences. Create an environment where people feel safe, valued and protected.
Focus on inclusion and collaboration. People are not going to always agree, especially when it comes to politics. It's important to accept that, be empathic and remember that inclusivity and acceptance holds a lot of weight as you navigate workplace tension.
Work with your employee resource groups to identify ways to advocate for those they represent in ways that reduce tensions that election season can generate.
Remind professionals to be just that: professional. We recognize that policy can be an important part of business. I don't discourage employees from having discussions, but I do encourage them to keep shared values top of mind when having emotionally charged conversations. It's important as a business leader to put this into practice and lead by example.

Survey Methodology

Insight Global and Approach Marketing commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,002 adults employed full-time throughout the United States. Survey participants worked in professions within primarily white-collar industries^{^[1]}.

The margin of error fell within +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent. The fieldwork for the online survey took place between August 30 and September 6 of 2022. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency.

About Insight Global

Insight Global is a national staffing and services company dedicated to empowering people. We relentlessly pursue opportunities for others, because when we all work together, anything is possible. We specialize in sourcing information technology, accounting, finance, and engineering professionals, and delivering service-based solutions to Fortune 1000 clients. Our team spans across more than 67 offices throughout the world and has pledged to place more than 80,000 people in jobs in 2022. Insight Global's services extend far beyond just filling roles. In addition to staffing services, we provide culture consulting, diversity, equity and inclusion guidance, specialized health care staffing and resources, and an array of managed services through our managed services division called Evergreen. To learn more about Insight Global, visit insightglobal.com.

[1] Healthcare (35%); Technology or IT (21%); Finance or banking (15%); the Public Sector (9%); Marketing, advertising, public relations, or communications (3%); Engineering (3%); Legal or professional business services (4%); Real Estate (4%); Logistics (2%); Energy (2%); and media or journalism (1%)

SOURCE Insight Global