64% of US workers said they experienced or witnessed poor workplace treatment due to political views

According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, 4% of U.S. workers reported experiencing or witnessing mistreatment in the workplace due to political views. The survey gathered responses from 1,024 U.S. workers between June 28 and July 1.

Discussions about politics at work are not new, but the intensity of the current election, international conflicts, and economic uncertainties are creating unprecedented tensions in the workplace, said Johnny Taylor, CEO of SHRM, in an interview.

While U.S. employees generally felt that there was more civility at work compared to society at large, a quarter of respondents anticipated an increase in workplace conflict by the end of the year, while 60% expected it to remain the same.

SHRM's analysis also noted that the number of uncivil comments made by both Biden and Trump during debates was the highest in any presidential debate since at least 1996. About 90% of workers expressed that U.S. leaders should exemplify more civil behavior.