PULLMAN, Wash. — In an era of nonstop headlines and growing political division, many workplaces still follow a familiar rule of thumb: Don’t talk politics at work.
New research from Washington State University suggests the issue is more nuanced, and talking about politicized news at work may help employees better manage stress and foster improved well-being.
The research, published in the journal Academy of Management Discoveries, examined employee responses to the news during periods of heightened political tension — the 2020 and 2024 U.S. elections — as well as during a non-election time period.
Researchers used a combination of daily surveys and follow-up questionnaires, drawing on responses from nearly 500 U.S. employees across three studies, to track when employees discussed politicized news at work and how those conversations related to well-being, burnout, and co-worker interactions. They also measured political identity and perceived alignment with colleagues to assess how workplace dynamics shape both the likelihood and impact of those discussions.
Results showed that when employees discussed emotionally charged politicized news with coworkers, those conversations were often linked to better emotional well-being. Most people, however, only brought up these events at work when they expected coworkers to respond in a similar or supportive way.
“Our findings suggest that most employees are not looking to pick fights at work,” said Kristine Kuhn, lead author and professor of management in WSU’s Carson College of Business. “In our samples, people were usually selective. They tended to talk about emotionally charged politicized news with coworkers they expected would be sympathetic or who viewed the issue similarly.”
In our samples, people were usually selective. They tended to talk about emotionally charged politicized news with coworkers they expected would be sympathetic or who viewed the issue similarly.
Kristine Kuhn, associate professor
Washington State University
Across the studies, researchers found that workplace discussions of politicized news served as a form of social sharing — a way to process emotions, vent frustrations or seek validation from colleagues they trusted.
“Research shows that when people experience strong emotions at work, such as after dealing with a difficult customer, they often want to talk to someone about it,” Kuhn said. “What is different here is the context. The news events prompting those emotions happen outside the organization, but they still shape how people feel and interact at work.”
That distinction matters, Kuhn said, because many news events that affect employees’ emotional states are now closely tied to their political identity.
“In the world we live in today, saying ‘we don’t talk politics at work’ could mean ‘we don’t talk about current events at work,’” Kuhn said. “And that is probably unrealistic as a blanket rule.”
The findings also point to a deeper understanding of workplace stress. Burnout is often associated with heavy workloads, staffing shortages or job demands, but the research suggests that larger social and political events can also contribute to emotional strain.
“In the broader societal context, a constant barrage of distressing news events can also deplete people,” Kuhn said.
Kuhn cautions against oversimplifying the findings. Although the research found workplace discussions of politicized news were more often helpful than harmful, the results do not suggest that organizations should encourage political debate at work. Instead, most participants appeared mindful of workplace dynamics and avoided such conversations when they did not expect a supportive response, she said.
For managers and organizations, the findings may offer both warning and reassurance.
“A outright ban on talking about politics or controversial social issues at work is probably not practical in the current environment,” Kuhn said. “And our findings suggest people can typically judge how their co-workers are likely to react. Most people do not want to make themselves feel worse by sparking confrontation.”
Rather than attempting to keep the workplace separate from the outside world, Kuhn said leaders may need to recognize that major events and news cycles inevitably shape how employees feel during the workday.
“Employees are humans interacting with other humans,” she said. “You can’t assume that what is happening in the broader world is not going to affect how they feel at work.”
Co-authors on the study include Leah Sheppard, associate professor of management in the Carson College, and Teng Iat (Lawrence) Loi, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and WSU Carson College PhD graduate.
Media Contacts
- Kristine Kuhn, WSU Carson College of Business, 509-335-1694, kmkuhn@wsu.edu
- Eric Hollenbeck, WSU Carson College of Business, 509-335-3597, edhollenbeck@wsu.edu
