Looks like we’re going to have to outfit workers with wearable devices to monitor their blood pressure and heartbeat to be on the alert when stress levels driven by office and assembly line political chatter get dangerously high strung. Perhaps you’ve read or heard about a new poll by the American Psychology Association (APA) that indicates distress over politics has increased at work – with several negative consequences.
About one in four employees surveyed report that since the presidential election, debates and conflicting views about the tenor of the times has left them feeling tense or stressed out. Almost half of those surveyed (40 percent) say today’s “you’re either with us or against us” polar environment is a distraction with various downsides. Productivity drops as folks stand around or extend lunch breaks to argue their views. Call it DC downtime. Another result is worsening quality of goods as distracted workers arguing over who’s right and who’s wrong don’t pay attention to the job at hand. Of course inattention increases the odds of injuries. The goal of having an engaged and collaborative work culture is taking a hit due to heightened hostility, too. Supposedly teamwork has taken a blow as 27 percent of survey respondents say they now have a more negative view of co-workers.