Due to the widespread discussion of COVID-19, many people have forgotten other major events coming up this year (that have yet to be cancelled, that is) and the biggest one being the 2020 Election. In the past four years, one thing is for certain - Our politics are divided pretty 50/50 with a few stragglers here and there. With that being said, the topic of politics is almost a daily discussion in many households and is an incredibly important topic for many people.

We’re sure you know at least one or two people who bring up politics in almost every conversation and you’re not alone. While the discussion of politics certainly is important and one that should be discussed - The office is probably one of the most inappropriate places to have one of those discussions. Especially if you know you and your coworkers don’t align.

While many can politely discuss political issues, others cannot. We see it everyday on Facebook and on T.V. - It’s a battle among each other to fight for their own beliefs and sometimes those fights get plain nasty and lose the relevance of politics altogether. With that in mind, it’s incredibly easy to get into fights at work - and nobody wants that!

Here are two stats about the topic of politics in the workplace from Glassdoor:

• 3 in 5 employees (60%) believe discussing politics at work is unacceptable.

• 60% of employees believe discussing politics at work could negatively impact their career opportunities.

So, to limit the temptation to discuss politics, here are a few ways you can approach the topic with your team.

• Don’t Rub Your Political Views in the Faces of Others - The workplace is a place for professionalism and having political garb around, showboating your beliefs is a surefire way to start a fight. Honestly, these days it’s pretty easy to tell who’s on which side, so everyone probably already knows where you stand - you don’t need to wear it on your shirt or parade it around the office. Keep it professional and don’t throw the first metaphorical punch by flaunting your views.

• Do NOT Bring Up Hot Topics - The first way to pick a political fight is bringing up major issues in politics right now that have strong opinions. We all know what they are, we don’t need to discuss them on Tuesday at the water cooler. Keep your views on these topics in particular to yourself at work. Even if you think your view is the most popular - having 50% of the office on your side really isolates those who don’t think the way you do. Plus, people with strong opinions on hot topics tend to start fights - We don’t want that, remember?

• If a Debate Ensues...Walk Away - Sometimes things just happen and there are those people who will debate regardless of any guidelines or rules. When one approaches you looking to debate or fight - just walk away. Be the bigger person. If you want to have a polite discussion that’s fine but as soon as it escalates, end it. Don’t be on the other half of that argument, especially in the office.

• Find Other Ways to Connect - If politics is a big deal to you and you enjoy the debate, find other ways you can connect with your employees in a more, appropriate, civil manner. Go out for a drink or a cup of coffee, find similarities between you and make the relationship last. But, remember that just because you’re outside of the office, if you’re with coworkers that you don’t know very well - it’s probably best to leave the politics for CNN or Fox.

Have you run into this issue before? How did you solve it?