Survey reveals 70% of workers see threats over political differences

WASHINGTON (TNND) — New data reveals a significant number of U.S. workers are experiencing or witnessing the escalation of tensions, threats, and even violence due to political disagreements.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)'s Civility Index:

• 70% of U.S. workers report that they have experienced and/or witnessed people making threats to one another in their everyday lives due to differences in political opinions.
• 69% of U.S. workers have experienced and/or witnessed people being violent toward one another in their everyday lives due to differences in political opinions.
• 78% of surveyed U.S. workers reported experiencing or witnessing poor treatment because of their political opinions in their everyday lives.

Jim Link, the chief human resources officer for SHRM, said there are a few reasons for these numbers.

"Some of the things driving it are certainly the prolific use of social media and digital technology to share knowledge and information," he noted. "There's a lot at stake, no matter which side of the fence you fall upon, and people tend to be somewhat polarized in their views right now related to those matters."

Link added workers must speak up and report uncivil behavior, harassment, discrimination, and violence.

With next week's election, the responsibility to speak up about this behavior is more urgent now than ever.

About half of our working population, on average, is going to feel like they've lost or won, but that gives each employer a unique opportunity to kind of re-establish the boundaries of empathetic listening and dialogue and really engaging with each other in a way that's respectful, kind, and civil," Link explained.

"Leaders clearly need to establish that civility is a requirement in the workplace. They need to very clearly say that it's okay again to be kind to each other in our dialogue, in the way we approach each other, in the expectations and mutual respect that we should request from each other," he encouraged. "When dialogue is involved, there has to be both an active speaker and an active listener, and we seem to have forgotten that lost art of active communication. And then finally, managers and leaders absolutely have to address uncivil behavior whenever it comes forth."

According to SHRM, reduced productivity and absenteeism due to incivility cost U.S. businesses approximately $2.17 billion daily.