A poll of 3,000+ employees suggests that companies might be alienating their workforce by taking political stands on contentious social issues and creating a culture of intolerance toward diverse views in the workplace. Many employees, the survey indicates, worry about workplace repercussions for expressing deeply held views both at work and even while off the clock.
Key findings
- 3 out of 5 (60%) of respondents say that respectfully expressing political viewpoints would “likely or somewhat likely” carry negative consequences at work.
- 1 in 4 (25%) of respondents say they know someone who has experienced negative consequences for respectfully expressing their political viewpoints.
- 54% of employees worry that sharing political content on their own social media accounts could result in negative consequences at work.
- Most employees (66%) say their company’s commitment to diversity should include respect for a wide range of religious and political beliefs in and out of the workplace. By failing to provide these minimal protections, companies risk losing employee talent as nearly 42% of potential job seekers say they are much less likely to apply to work at a company whose work culture is hostile to their religious or political views.
- 64% of employees agree that companies shouldn’t be able to coerce employees to affirm or celebrate views that violate their personal beliefs.
- 30% of employees have considered relocating to a state or region that is more tolerant of their values.
