Employers Gear Up for Election Stress in the Workplace

With the presidential election just weeks away, employers are bracing for a big impact on their employees’ mental health.  

“With ongoing and increasing political tensions, the election season can have substantial impacts on employees’ mental health,” said Lindsay Oberleitner, director of clinical strategy at SimplePractice, a management tool for health and wellness professionals. “Election-related mental health concerns can, and do, impact anyone.”

In fact, a recent survey of 1,052 U.S. employees by mental health provider LifeStance Health found that the vast majority (79%) said the upcoming U.S. presidential election has caused them anxiety this year, with 21% saying it has caused them significant anxiety. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of respondents who are currently in therapy say they have discussed politics or the election with their clinician during sessions. And more than half (57%) of respondents think about the election daily, including nearly one-third (31%) who said they think about it multiple times per day.

That all translates into the workplace, taking a big hit on employers—and giving them reason to act.

“Employers need to care because election stress can affect employee productivity and morale,” said Nicholette Leanza, a therapist at LifeStance Health in North Royalton, Ohio. “Anxious employees are less effective, and chronic stress can lead to burnout. Plus, political tensions can disrupt teamwork.”

Then there’s the added risk of increased turnover, particularly among younger workers. The LifeStance survey found that younger generations are most likely to experience moderate to significant election-related anxiety, with 64% of Generation Z and 54% of Millennials being affected—making them more vulnerable to burnout and more likely to quit their jobs.

Taken together, those factors indicate that employers should step up in the weeks leading up to the election, as well as the weeks after, experts said.

How to Help

Employers can help mitigate employees’ stress over the election by being empathetic, encouraging healthy conversations in work environments, and offering a number of supports and benefits—including mental health resources and the flexibility to take time off for voting.

According to Oberleitner, the first thing for employers to recognize is that the election is a common stressor—and that the stress impacts workers in different ways.

“When shared experiences are occurring that raise experiences of stress and anxiety for most, acknowledging that stress is essential,” Oberleitner said. Through the election season, some employees might find that work is a healthy distraction, allowing them to focus energy on tasks that take them away from their worries. Others, though, may “experience challenges staying focused and productive if the anxiety becomes intrusive and harder to control,” she said.

“As the election draws nearer, it is possible that the feelings of anxiety will increase for some employees, as it will become harder and harder to distract from worries and concerns about the election,” she continued.

Offering mental health resources is vital, as are encouraging healthy discussions and ensuring boundaries in the office.

“Employers can help ease election-season stress among employees by monitoring for signs of distress and offering support through counseling services or employee assistance programs [EAPs] when needed,” said Joel Axler, national behavioral health leader for Brown & Brown Insurance. “Employers can ensure that mental health resources are available, such as an EAP or [behavioral health] navigator program or mindfulness programs.”

Similarly, being empathetic and flexible during this time can be a big help to employees as well.

Oberleitner said some employees may experience reactions they did not anticipate in the days immediately before and after the election, and that support and flexibility in tasks can be a big help. That support can include reducing immediate demands on Election Day, as well as the days after the election where possible, including reducing the number of due dates, meetings, and new tasks for employees. Meanwhile, dedicating some time to activities that build group cohesion outside of political conversation may be useful.

“It is worth anticipating that many employees may not be able to give the energy that they normally give to a work meeting or tasks,” Oberleitner said. “This stress and anxiety may be compounded if some employees are highly vocal in advocating for their preferred candidates and issues, as it makes it harder for employees who want to disengage from political discussions while at work and find it stressful to navigate politically oriented conversations.” 

Making sure employees have time off to vote—and are encouraged to use it—is also important, Oberleitner said, as it gives employees a way to deal with feelings of uncertainty and anxiety.

“Voting can give a sense of control, and that increased sense of control and sense of participation may help ameliorate stress that surrounds feelings of unease with upcoming changes from the election,” she said.

Encouraging Healthy Environments

Employers can also help promote healthy coping skills by encouraging employees to limit their exposure to news and social media, both of which may exacerbate stress for employees. According to the LifeStance survey, 72% of the respondents said social media and news coverage contributed to their anxiety about the election, and 54% limit their exposure to help manage election-related stress.

Organizations can also encourage healthy conversations around politics, experts said.

Although conversations about politics and differences of opinion will likely occur among employees, managers can nurture a respectful workplace culture by having clear guidelines for political discussions at work to prevent conflicts and maintain a positive work environment, Leanza said. Employers can set and communicate guidelines and best practices to steer employees in the right direction.

SHRM’s latest Civility Index, in fact, found that U.S. organizations collectively lose more than $1.2 billion in reduced productivity per day due to uncivil behavior at work and $828 million per day due to absenteeism caused by incivility.

Training managers on conflict resolution techniques, such as engaging in active listening, expressing empathy, and learning how to defuse tense situations, can also be useful, experts said.

[See also: As Political Tensions in the Workplace Ramp Up, Experts Call for Action on Civility]

After the Election

It’s important for employers to focus not only on the weeks leading up to the election but also on the aftermath of the election.

“Election-related stress and anxiety is not likely to disappear” after Nov. 5, Oberleitner said. “Given high political tensions, it is likely that even for those individuals for whom the election goes the way that they hope, the anxiety might not go away completely.”

And if the election results are contested, as they have been in previous election cycles, that may complicate matters even more and further heighten employees’ sense of uncertainty.

All in all, employers should be armed with the knowledge that election-related anxiety will likely permeate throughout workplaces in the coming weeks and months—and a number of supports are needed.

“Given the sheer number of people experiencing anxiety related to the election, and the wide range of ways those employees might need or want support, it is important to know that it is unlikely there will be a one-size-fits-all approach,” Oberleitner said.