Survey uncovers generational divide on political talk at workplaces

The findings indicate India's youngest employees, Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012 were most eager to engage in cross-partisan discourse. Around 64 per cent of Gen Z respondents report actively participating in political conversations at their workplaces, compared to just 54 per cent of Gen Xers and 55 pe rcent of Baby Boomers.

What's more, around 46 per cent of Gen Z and 65 per cent of millennial workers say they were comfortable working alongside colleagues with opposing political views at far higher rates than 38 per cent of Gen X and Baby Boomers.

“India's vibrant young workforce is ushering in a new era of open discourse and diversity of thought,” said Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed India. “As digitally-native Gen Z brings fresh perspectives, employers must be proactive in shaping an inclusive culture that constructively channels this energy.”

A striking 82 per cent of employees described the overall office atmosphere surrounding these discussions as “heated and divided.” More than half 56 per cent confessed to feeling discomfort during such conversations, suggesting potential strains on employee wellbeing and workplace cohesion.

To maintain a respectful environment, many companies are striving for neutrality (44 per cent) and establishing clear codes of conduct (34 per cent). At the same time, a substantial 43 per cent are encouraging open but bounded dialogue between employees with differing views.

Employees report these sensitive discussions often take place during informal workplace gatherings (14 per cent), on social media (14 per cent), and over lunch breaks (11 per cent) – rather than official meetings.

Interestingly, while nearly half 49 per cent of employers expressed concerns about stereotyping or prejudiced behaviors stemming from political talk, over one-third approximately 34 per cent of workers say their sense of support is not significantly impacted by their leader's political leanings. This points to employees' nuanced ability to separate partisan differences from organizational goals and leadership competency.

The survey was conducted by Valuvox on behalf of Indeed among 1,266 employers and 2,631 employees from March to April 2024. The employee respondents for our study varied across demographics -Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi/NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune covering - Automobile, Manufacturing, Media and Entertainment, Retail, Telecommunications, Travel and Hospitality, BFSI, Construction and Real Estate, Consumer Durables, E-commerce, FMCG, Healthcare and Pharma, IT/ITeS, and Logistics.